Fine tuning of emission through the engineering of colloidal crystals

We describe the preparation and characterization of photonic colloidal crystals from silica spheres with incorporated luminescent [Mo(6)Br(14)](2-) cluster units. These structures exhibit strong angle-dependent luminescent properties. The incorporation of one or several planar defects in the periodic structures gives rise to the creation of a passband in the stopband. In the energy range of this passband, an increase of the emission intensity has been found.