Urea Complexes Research Articles

Biological importance of copper (II) sesame soap-urea complex

The study of transition metal complexes containing macrocyclic nitrogen and sulphur donor ligands has been an attractive and fascinating area of modern research activity during last few decades, because of their synthetic investigations and for their usefulness. These ligands and their metal complexes are good complexing agents. The present research work reports fundamental chemical properties and new investigations of coordination compounds of some transition metal ions with an overview of medicinal applications. Transition metals appear in almost every facet of our day-to-day life, from industrial uses such as the manufacture of construction and building materials, tools, vehicles, up to cosmetics, paints and fertilizers. The present work deals with the study of synthesis and characterization of biological properties of novel copper (II) soap urea complex.

A series of urea complexes with rare-earth nitrates: Synthesis, structure and thermal decomposition

Complexes of rare-earth nitrates with urea (Ur), [Nd(Ur)4(NO3)3], [Ln(H2O)(Ur)4(NO3)2]NO3 (Ln = Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Y), and [Lu(Ur)4(NO3)2]NO3, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. Molecular and crystal structures of [Sm(H2O)(Ur)4(NO3)2]NO3 and [Er(H2O)(Ur)4(NO3)2]NO3 were determined. All complexes were studied as precursors for preparing rare-earth oxides by solution combustion synthesis. Processes at 300–500 °C associated with conditions of combustion resulted in formation of rare-earth basic carbonates, which lost carbon dioxide at further heating. Powder X-ray diffraction showed formation of cubic rare-earth oxides at 900 °C.

Study of Photocatalytic Degradation, Kinetics and Microbial Activities of Copper (II) Soya Urea Complex in Non-Aqueous Media

The aim of this research work is to synthesise, study and analyse photocatalytic degradation, kinetics and microbial activity of new surfactant Copper (II) soya urea complex (CSU). Photocatalytic degradation has gained the attention of the scientific community throughout the world due to its multiple applications in environment, energy, wastewater treatment, pollution control, green chemistry, etc. Copper (II) soya urea complex has been synthesized and characterized through FT-IR, NMR, ESR studies. Present work deals with the study of photocatalytic degradation of Copper (II) soya urea complex by using ZnO as a semiconductor. This study employs a semiconductor catalyst using non-polar and non-aqueous solvent in photocatalytic degradation. The reaction rate is chosen as the photocatalytic activity, which has been governed by several factors. Antibacterial activities of the Copper (II) complex have also been studied against Staphylococcus aureus. Optical density (O.D.) was measured after different time intervals spectrophotometrically to measure the degradation of the complex. Mueller- Hinton agar medium was used for antimicrobial activity of synthesized compounds at different concentrations by disk/well diffusion susceptibility testing. Plot of 2+log O.D. (absorbance) versus time was plotted and found linear. The heterogeneous photocatalysis followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The present study suggests that Copper (II) soya urea (CSU) complex shows antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus at different concentrations. The results were used to determine the rate of photocatalytic degradation of CSU complex. It has been found that the rate of degradation varies with different parameters like concentration of complex, amount of catalyst, light intensity, solvent polarity, etc. CSU complex derived from soyabean oil has been shown an inhibitory effect on the growth of S. aureus, which may cause skin disease.

D-optimal Design Optimization for the Separation of Oleic Acid from Malaysian High Free Fatty Acid Crude Palm Oil Fatty Acids Mixture Using Urea Complex Fractionation

Oleic acid (OA) rich vegetable oils is important for the daily essential dietary oils intake but restrict to particular oil such as olive oil. However OA enrichment to other vegetable oil such as palm oil is always possible. OA can be obtained from cheap resources such as high free fatty acid crude palm oil (HFFA-CPO). OA concentrate from HFFA-CPO fatty acids mixture requires efficient and low cost technique. Urea complex crystallization fractionation is a classic method for fractionating saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids from polyunsaturated fatty acids of many vegetable oils. In this work, the separation and purification of oleic acid (OA) from unsaturated fatty acids mixture fraction (USFA) of HFFA-CPO fatty acids mixture by urea complex fractionation (UCF) was studied. The crystallization reaction conditions of urea inclusion for the non-urea complex fraction (NUCF) were optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM) and the optimal model was developed. The results showed high content of OA (88%) in urea complex fraction (UCF) with 86% yield at optimal conditions of urea-to-USFAs ratio of 4.62 : 1 (w/w), crystallization temperature at –10°C and crystallization time of 24 h. The results have demonstrated that urea complex crystallization fractionation method is a very effective with low cost, stable, obtainable, and comparatively ease to recover of OA from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of an oil fatty acids mixture. Pure OA is plausible to be used back for the OA enrichment modification into palm oil for new dietary oil.

Fabrication of N-Doped Reduced Graphite Oxide/MnCo2O4 Nanocomposites for Enhanced Microwave Absorption Performance.

The present work reports on the fabrication of a lightweight microwave absorber comprising MnCo2O4 prepared from the urea complex of manganese (Mn)/cobalt (Co) and nitrogen-doped reduced graphite oxide (NRGO) by facile hydrothermal method followed by annealing process and characterized. The phase analysis, compositional, morphological, magnetic, and conductivity measurements indicated dispersion of paramagnetic MnCo2O4 spherical particles on the surface of NRGO. Our findings also showed that Mn, Co-urea complex, and GO in the weight ratio of 1:4 (NGMC3) exhibited maximum shielding efficiency in the range of 55-38 dB with absorption as an overall dominant shielding mechanism. The reflection loss of NGMC3 was found to be in the range of -90 to -77 dB with minima at -103 dB (at 2.9 GHz). Such outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption performance of NRGO/MnCo2O4 nanocomposite compared to several other metal cobaltates could be attributed to the formation of percolated network assisted electronic polarization, interfacial polarization and associated relaxation losses, conductance loss, dipole polarization and corresponding relaxation loss, impedance matching, and magnetic resonance to some extent.

Electrochemical and thermodynamic insights on actinide type (IV) deep eutectic solvent

Nuclear energy owing its low cost and being environmentally benign is considered a potential alternative to resolve global issues related to energy requirements and it mostly requires uranium dioxide as fuel. With the ssimilarintention, firstly we synthesized uranium type (IV) deep eutectic solvent (UT4D) employing uranyl nitrate hexahydrate (UNH) and Urea via mechanochemical synthesis which is indeed the first report on actinide deep eutectic solvent (AnDES). The optimum mole fraction for formation of DES was found to be 0.2:0.8 for UNH: Urea respectively which was further confirmed using thermodynamic phase diagram. The formation of DES was confirmed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Various physical properties were also evaluated for UT4D such as melting point, moisture contents, viscosity, and density. Thermal studies suggested that UT4D is stable from −5.2 to 300 °C and there is a strong interaction parameter obtained in the present UT4D which was attributed to hydrogen bonding and the complexation of urea with UNH. Uranium ion was found to exist in U(VI) oxidation state in the form of oxo uranyl ion in UT4D. Electrochemical investigation suggested the stabilization of most unstable U(V) state by virtue of the formation of hydrogen bonded complex of uranium and urea in the DES. Further scanning the potential to more negative direction leads to reduction of U(V) ion to UO2. The optimized electrochemical parameters were further used for the electrosynthesis of UO2 nanoparticles (UDNPs) and thus offer a very green and cost-effective synthesis of UDNPs.

Generation of (H2O2)N clusters on argon and ice nanoparticles

Hydrogen peroxide is a highly reactive and relatively unstable molecule, therefore pure (H2O2)N clusters are difficult to generate. In order to investigate the solvent effects on the H2O2 reactivity, experiments with H2O2 clusters are desirable. We have generated (H2O2)N clusters on free nanoparticles in molecular beams using a pickup technique. The individual H2O2 molecules were evaporated from the stable complex of urea with hydrogen peroxide (UHP) and they were picked up by ArM and (H2O)M nanoparticles in a molecular beam prepared by supersonic expansion. The clusters were probed by the time-of-flight mass spectrometry after electron ionization. The mass spectra showed that several H2O2 molecules could be deposited on both ArM and (H2O)M nanoparticles. On ArM, they coagulate and generate (H2O2)N clusters with N ≥ 20, while on ice nanoparticles the coagulation is inhibited on the timescale of our experiment (∼ 0.7 ms). The mass spectra suggest that there is no significant contamination of the (H2O2)N clusters with oxygen and water, which would be the products of H2O2 thermal decomposition. The proposed method represents a way of producing (H2O2)N clusters for future experiments.

A Comparative Adsorption Study on Low-cost Synthetic, Nano and Doped ZnO for the Removal of Copper Surfactants Urea Complexes: Equilibrium, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics

<P>Background: The effective removal of heavy metals from aqueous wastes is among the most important issues for many industrialized countries. Present paper reports about the synthesis of copper neem urea complex (CNU) and its characterization using elemental and spectroscopic techniques such as IR, NMR, and ESR. </P><P> Methods: The NPs of ZnO and doped with SiO<sub>2</sub> which was extracted from industrial ash’s) was synthesized by precipitation method and characterized through UV, SEM-EDX and XRD techniques. Three low cost adsorbents such as synthetic ZnO, nano ZnO and doped ZnO with SiO<sub>2</sub> were chosen for the adsorption of copper surfactant complex of urea from non-aqueous solutions i.e. petroleum ether. Effect of various parameters like contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, temperature and initial metal concentration on the removal through degradation and adsorption of CNU were investigated and optimized. </P><P> Results: Isothermal studies indicated that the adsorption of CNU followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Kinetic studies indicated that removal of the CNU by the three adsorbents followed second order kinetics. With a maximum adsorption capacity of 7.58 mg/g using all three adsorbents showed an effective and efficient removal 95.8% of CNU from non-aqueous solutions by using ZnO doped with SiO<sub>2</sub> compare to synthetic ZnO and nano ZnO. This is the first report of removal of the CNU complex based on the three adsorbents. </P><P> Conclusion: The potential of application for the treatment of solutions containing these complexes in multi-metal solutions is indicated.</P>

Photocatalytic Degradation and Antibacterial Study of Copper(II) Mustard Thiourea Complex

Aims: The aim of this research work is to synthesise, study and analyse photocatalytic degradation, kinetics. Background: Copper(II) mustard thio urea complex has been synthesized and characterized through FT-IR, NMR, ESR studies. Objective: Photocatalytic degradation of copper(II) mustard thio urea complex was studied in the presence of ZnO as a catalyst in the solution form, using a non polar solvent benzene and a polar solvent methanol with different compositions. Antibacterial activities of copper(II) complex have also been studied against Staphylococcus aureus. Method: O.D. was measured after different time intervals spectrophotometrically to measure the degradation of the complex. Result: Plot of 2+ log O.D. (absorbance) versus time was plotted and found to be linear. The heterogeneous photocatalysis followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The present study suggests that the CMT complex shows antibacterial activity at different concentrations. Conclusion: The rate of photocatalytic degradation of CMT complex was studied and analyzed. It has been found that the rate of degradation varies with different parameters like the concentration of complex, the amount of catalyst, light intensity, solvent polarity etc. The CMT complex derived from natural mustard oil has shown an inhibitory effect on the growth of S. aureus which may cause skin diseases.

Fabrication of novel ternary direct Z-scheme + isotype heterojunction photocatalyst g-C3N4/g-C3N4/BiOBr with enhanced photocatalytic performance

A novel ternary direct Z-scheme + isotype heterojunction, Δ(Z + H)-scheme photocatalyst CN-TU/BiOBr was fabricated by an effective combination of thermal decomposition and solvothermal method. The samples of g-C3N4 prepared using urea, thiourea and thiourea-urea complexes as precursors were named CN-U, CN-T and CN-TU, respectively. In addition, CN-M was prepared by physically mixing CN-U and CN-T. The structure, morphology, optical and electronic properties of the prepared samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR spectra, SEM-EDS, BET, XPS and DRS. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized samples were estimated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and antibiotic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) in the presence of visible light. Compared with other as-prepared samples, the ternary 1%CN-TU/BiOBr photocatalyst exhibited an excellent activity, which is attributed to the construction of the ternary Δ(Z + H)-scheme not only benefit to maintain outstanding redox capability of the electrons, but also facilitates the separation of photo-generated carrier. Furthermore, the stability of the sample is tested by cyclic experiments. This work will provided a new insight into optimizing the structure and designing similar Z-scheme photocatalytic system.

Pyridine‐Based Macrocyclic and Open Receptors for Urea

AbstractPyridine‐based macrocyclic and open receptors 1–4 have been designed, synthesized and characterized. The macrocycle 1 was characterized by single crystal X‐ray spectroscopy. Compound 2 selectively binds and recognizes urea in CHCl3. Fluorescence spectroscopy shows that compound 2 selectively displays quenching of monomer emission followed by formation of an intramolecular excimer upon hydrogen bond mediated complexation of urea. This distinguishes urea from thiourea. The fluorometric detection of urea has also been performed with the open receptors 3 and 4 in CHCl3. The detailed study reveals the effectivity of 2 in fluorescence sensing of urea over the structures 3 and 4. The urea recognition properties of receptors were evaluated by 1H NMR, fluorescence and UV‐vis studies.

Investigation of Micellization and Viscometric Behaviour of Organo-copper Soap-urea Complexes Derived from Various Edible Oils

Background:Of-late researches in colloid chemistry are becoming increasingly important in various branches of chemistry, industry, medicine and allied fields. Copper surfactants derived from various edible oils provide an interesting area of investigation pertaining to its fundamental information regarding their colloid-chemical behaviour. Copper (II) soaps and their urea complexes in polar and non-polar solvents have gained considerable popularity due to their immense use and widespread applications such as wood preservation, foaming, wetting, biocidal, pesticidal activities, fungicidal, detergency, emulsification, paints, lubrication etc.Objective:Present work has been initiated with a view to obtain a profile due to the nature and structure of copper soap and their urea complexes with long chain fatty acids in polar and non-polar solvent, which have great significance in explaining their characteristics under different conditions. The objective of the present work is study of micellar characterizations of copper soap and their urea complexes in polar (methanol) and non-polar (benzene) solvents of varying composition and subsequent determinations of CMC using physical properties such as, viscosity. This will provide fundamental information regarding their colloid chemical behavior.Methods:The density, molar volume, viscosity, specific viscosity, and fluidity of Cu (II) soap- urea complexes derived from various edible oils in a benzene-methanol solvent system have been determined at a constant temperature of 303.15 K.Results:Results: The results were used to determine the critical micelle concentration (CMC), soap complex-solvent interactions and the effect of chain length of the surfactant molecules on various parameters. The values of the CMC in the higher volume percent of methanol are higher than those of the lower volume percent of methanol. The values of CMC for these complexes are following the order: CSoU>CSeU> CGU > CMU:This shows that there is a decrease in the CMC values with an increase of the average molecular weight of the complex. The conclusions with regard to solute-solute and solutesolvent interactions have been discussed in terms of the well-known Moulik’s and Jones- Dole equations. The effect of surfactant concentration on the viscosity of the solution in the solvent mixtures has been discussed. The observations suggested that the solvent structure breaking effect by the solute on the solvent molecules is more prominent above the CMC as compared to below the CMC.Conclusion:The vital information about the micellar behavior of synthesized molecules as a solute and their interactions with different solvents will plays an important role in various industrial and biological applications.

Hydrogen-bonding interactions in crown-(thio)urea complexes with anions, chemical warfare agents and simulants

ABSTRACTBenzocrown ethers incorporating phenyl and nitrophenyl urea and thiourea moieties were synthesised. Both the nitrophenyl urea and thiourea derivative gave a fluoride-specific colorimetric response but only the urea derivative bound the organophosphonate nerve agent simulants dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP). This suggested an application as sensors for the nerve agents sarin, soman and cyclosarin which release fluoride upon hydrolysis. Although no fluoride-induced response was observed in the UV-visible spectrum, binding to soman was determined by 1H NMR. DFT computational simulations suggested that the two crowns adopt different conformations in which both can bind fluoride but only the urea derivative can bind DMMP, DIMP and soman. The results show that, for this system, simulant- and soman-binding behaviours are in good agreement.

Исследование механизма сульфирования карбамида олеумом методом теории функционала плотности

The work investigates the sulfonation mechanism of urea in oleum, which is used in the synthesis of sulfamic acid. In addition to sulfamic acid, carbon dioxide is also released in the process. The method of density functional theory was used to model the sulfonation reaction using cation HSO3+ as a true sulfonating agent. All elementary acts, intermediates, and transition states of the reaction are determined. Six possible complexes of urea and cation HSO3+ are identified, of which two are reactive, formed through the bonding of the nitrogen atom of urea and sulfur of the HSO3+. The most stable complex is formed through the bonding of the oxygen atom of urea and sulfur of the HSO3+, from the reactive complexes it is separated by an activation barrier of 149.86 kJ/mol, so its formation inactivates the starting reagents and their return to a reactive state is possible only through interaction with negatively charged particles. The activation energies and thermal effects of the stages are calculated. The first stable intermediate of the process is isocyanic acid. Subsequently, isocyanic acid reacts with sulfuric by two mechanisms: the formation of urethane-like structures of NH2COOSO3H or carbamic acid. The second mechanism is preferred since it requires much milder conditions. Using the continuum models D-PCM and COSMO, the influence of the solvent on the reaction mechanism was studied. As a solvent, 100% sulfuric acid was taken. The maximum activation energy of elementary stages according to the first mechanism was: 167.37 (COSMO) kJ/mol, 169.77 (D-PCM), without solvent 180.38 kJ/mol. By the second mechanism: 57.38 (COSMO) kJ/mol, 59.91 (D-PCM), without solvent 91.15 kJ/mol. The number of elementary acts is 6 for the first mechanism and 7 for the second.

Mechanochemical Preparation of Slow Release Fertilizer Based on Glauconite–Urea Complexes

We investigated the mechanochemical synthesis of complex slow release fertilizers (SRF) derived from glauconite. We studied the effectiveness of the mechanical intercalation of urea into glauconite using planetary and ring mills. The potassium-nitric complex SRFs were synthesized via a mechanochemical method mixing glauconite with urea in a 3:1 ratio. The obtained composites were analyzed using X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and infrared spectroscopy. The results show that as duration of mechanochemical activation increases, the mineralogical, chemical, and structural characteristics of composites change. Essential modifications associated with a decrease in absorbed urea and the formation of microcrystallites were observed when the planetary milling time increased from 5 to 10 min and the ring milling from 15 to 30 min. Complete intercalation of urea into glauconite was achieved by 20 min grinding in a planetary mill or 60 min in a ring mill. Urea intercalation in glauconite occurs much faster when using a planetary mill compared to a ring mill.

Spectral, antimicrobial, TGA and photocatalytic degradation studies of copper neem–urea complex using synthetic, nano and doped ZnO

ABSTRACT Present paper reports the synthesis of copper neem–urea (CNU) complex through reported methods and is characterised by elemental and spectroscopic techniques such as IR, NMR and ESR. The nanoparticles of ZnO and ZnO doped with SiO2 which was extracted from industrial ashes were synthesised by precipitation method and characterised by UV, SEM-EDX and XRD techniques. Kinetics of degradation for the synthesised complex in solid-state was studied using thermogravimetric analysis technique (TGA). For kinetic analysis, Freeman Carroll, Coats–Redfern, Horowitz–Metzger, Broido and Piloyan–Novikova equations have been used to calculate the energy of activation as well as other thermodynamic parameters, i.e. Gibbs free energy (∆G), enthalpy (∆H) and entropy (∆S). The photocatalytic degradation was carried out by irradiating the solutions of CNU containing ZnO by UV and sunlight in different solvents. Studies suggested that the use of photocatalyst may enhance the degradation rate of CNU at normal temperatures. The disappearance of copper surfactants follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics according to the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L-H) model. A tentative mechanism has been proposed for the photodegradation of copper surfactants. The doped ZnO with SiO2 was found to be the best catalyst in comparison to nano and synthesised ZnO for photodegradation studies. Antibacterial and antifungal studies have been done to understand the biological applications of the molecule against some bacteria and fungi which may cause skin diseases. The toxicity patterns of CNU on Staphylococcus aureus, Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNs), Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus bacteria and Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Rhodotorula and Trichophytonrubrum fungi at varying concentrations using Mueller Hinton Agar plate’s technique have been studied, analysed and also been reported here.

Effect of alginate on the release of amide nitrogen for soilless cultivation applications

In order to prepare sustained-release organic liquid fertilizer, alginate and amide nitrogen urea were used as materials to study the release of alginate from urea and its application in soilless cultivation. The interactions between alginate and urea in aqueous solutions were investigated based on particle size, zeta-potential, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. We used ultrafiltration centrifuge tubes to separate the alginate, binary complex of alginate and urea, and free urea. The sustained-release action of alginate was characterized by measuring the content of free urea. XRD and FTIR results revealed that a binary complex between alginate and urea was successfully generated because of non-covalent interaction forces, hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic effects. The release efficiency of alginate was 54.58% with urea. These results indicate that alginate is suitable for the slow release of urea in aqueous solutions, which is advantageous for the preparation of soilless algal organic fertilizers. In soilless cultivation experiments, the urea release by alginate was slower, resulting a fresh weight, dry weight, protein content, and soluble sugar content retention after the end of the growth of 23.93, 51.16, 23.76, and 16.32%, respectively. These values were higher than those of the control (P <0.05), increasing the growth and N uptake by the crop plants. This trend increased with time, emphasizing the significant role of alginate in urea retention in soilless cultures. The results demonstrated the potential for soilless culture agriculture and the effectiveness of slow-release alginate.

The Structure of the Elusive Urease-Urea Complex Unveils the Mechanism of a Paradigmatic Nickel-Dependent Enzyme.

Urease, the most efficient enzyme known, contains an essential dinuclear NiII cluster in the active site. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea, inducing a rapid pH increase that has negative effects on human health and agriculture. Thus, the control of urease activity is of utmost importance in medical, pharmaceutical, and agro-environmental applications. All known urease inhibitors are either toxic or inefficient. The development of new and efficient chemicals able to inhibit urease relies on the knowledge of all steps of the catalytic mechanism. The short (microseconds) lifetime of the urease-urea complex has hampered the determination of its structure. The present study uses fluoride to substitute the hydroxide acting as the co-substrate in the reaction, preventing the occurrence of the catalytic steps that follow substrate binding. The 1.42 Å crystal structure of the urease-urea complex, reported here, resolves the enduring debate on the mechanism of this metalloenzyme.

The Structure of the Elusive Urease–Urea Complex Unveils the Mechanism of a Paradigmatic Nickel‐Dependent Enzyme

AbstractUrease, the most efficient enzyme known, contains an essential dinuclear NiII cluster in the active site. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea, inducing a rapid pH increase that has negative effects on human health and agriculture. Thus, the control of urease activity is of utmost importance in medical, pharmaceutical, and agro‐environmental applications. All known urease inhibitors are either toxic or inefficient. The development of new and efficient chemicals able to inhibit urease relies on the knowledge of all steps of the catalytic mechanism. The short (microseconds) lifetime of the urease–urea complex has hampered the determination of its structure. The present study uses fluoride to substitute the hydroxide acting as the co‐substrate in the reaction, preventing the occurrence of the catalytic steps that follow substrate binding. The 1.42 Å crystal structure of the urease–urea complex, reported here, resolves the enduring debate on the mechanism of this metalloenzyme.

Non-conventional Ce:YAG nanostructures via urea complexes

Ce:YAG nanostructures (Ce:YAG = Cerium in Yttrium Aluminium Garnet), easy to control and shape, have been prepared via templating approach using natural and synthetic materials (i.e. paper, cotton wool and glass wool) previously soaked with a gel-like metals precursor and then thermally treated to achieve the wished morphology. The final material, otherwise difficult to process, can be easily moulded, it is lightweight, portable and forms, at the nanoscale, homogeneous layers of interconnected but not agglomerated nanoparticles (15 ± 5 nm). Using the same synthetic route, called Urea-Glass-Route, but in absence of a template, extremely pure Ce:YAG nanoparticle (45 ± 5 nm) can be also prepared, highly crystalline and well-defined in size and shape. Both structural and optical properties of the final materials were investigated, showing high optical quality. The support allows the production of a multifunctional material with mouldable shape and potential lighting application for large structures combining the strength, chemical durability, fire resistance, and translucency of glass fibres. Last, but not least, the synthetic path also allows an easy scaling up of the process: the first, key step for practical application of nanosized rare-earth doped YAG on large scale.