Effects of added dibutyl phosphate on the luminescent properties of europium tetrakis dibenzoylmethide triethylammonium

Abstract

Since 2003, the authors have been pushing the boundaries on a special type of functional material, i.e., a material that gives off light when it is stressed, strained, and/or fractured. This unique class of materials has been proposed for the active element of impact sensors, earthquake detectors, and stress sensors. However, in order for this concept to go from the lab to real world applications, the light emission from these functional materials must be bright such that inexpensive light detectors can be used. One of the brightest materials found thus far is europium tetrakis dibenzoylmethide triethylammonium (EuD4TEA). This material has an emission so bright that it can be observed in daylight. In 2013, the authors discovered that the addition of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) increased the light emission two fold. As a result, a search for similar compounds was conducted to determine if the emission can be increased further. This paper explores the effects of dibutyl phosphate (DBP) on EuD4TEA. The effects of DBP on the triboluminescence, photoluminescence, and crystal structure of EuD4TEA will be determined. This paper will show that DBP has an even greater effect on the properties of EuD4TEA than DMMP.