Sonochemical synthesis of a nanoscale complex of neodymium(III) and 8-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline: spectroscopic, photoluminescence, and thermal analysis

A new neodymium(III) complex, [Nd-2(C10H9NO)(4)(NO3)(6)], was prepared by reacting neodymium(III) nitrate with 8-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline in a fast and facile process. The complex was characterized by H-1 NMR, IR, and UV spectroscopies, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and elemental analysis. The nanostructure of Nd-2(C10H9NO)(4)(NO3)(6) was also prepared by facile sonochemical synthesis at room temperature and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and elemental analysis. Thermal stability of the single-crystal and nanoscale crystals of complex was investigated by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The photoluminescence properties of the nanostructured and bulk crystalline of the complex in the solid-state were investigated in detail at room temperature. The results indicate that the size of the complex particles has a remarkable effect on the optical properties of it. The nanoscale neodymium(III) complex displayed higher quantum yield than the neodymium(III) complex in the single-crystal form. Absorption and emission peaks of the nanoscale complex red shifted significantly in comparison with that of in the single-crystal form. .