Luminescent GaN semiconductor based on surface modification with lanthanide complexes through an ionic liquid bridge

A novel GaN-based luminescent hybrid material has been prepared by covalently functionalizing the GaN matrices with an ionic liquid (IL), and then exchanging the anion of the IL with lanthanide complexes. 1-Methyl-3-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]imidazolium chloride, a kind of multi-functional room temperature IL, is used to silanize the hydroxylated surfaces of the GaN sample. After that, an anion exchange measurement is performed to introduce the tetrakis β-diketonate europium(III) complex anion to the GaN matrices. The FTIR spectra, UV-vis diffuse reflection absorption spectra, scanning electron micrograph, XRD patterns and photoluminescent properties (luminescence, lifetime and quantum efficiency) for the resulting material were studied in detail. The results suggest that our method is an effective way for constructing novel functional GaN based hybrid materials.