Decoration of surface-carboxylated graphene oxide with luminescent Sm3+-complexes

A Sm 3+ complex, tris-(2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone) mono-1,10-phenanthroline-Sm 3+ [Sm(TTA) 3 (Phen)], can be easily integrated in situ via covalent functionalization to surface-carboxylated graphene oxide (GO-COOH) from a ethanol solution. The Sm 3+ containing material has been comprehensively characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–Vis absorption spectra, luminescence spectra, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TG and DTG). The integration of rare earth complexes (RE) onto GO-COOH, as well as the individual nature of the hybrids, is confirmed. The GO-COOH with high load capacity can integrate more RE than GO. The brilliant optical properties of the GO-COOH-RE complex hybrids make them promising candidates applying in many practical fields, such as biomedical applications.