Luminescent materials of zeolite functionalized with lanthanides

Luminescent materials derived from the functionalization of zeolite with lanthanide (Ln(3+)/zeolite) constitute an intense research topic since such materials combine the attractive properties (e.g., tunable morphology, high stability, and low cost) of zeolite and unique optical properties of Ln(3+) ions (such as sharp and long-lived emission in the visible to NIR region with high color purity). Starting from a short summary on some preparation strategies of Ln(3+)/zeolite, this highlight article reviews state-of-the-art research activities focusing on the improved visible and near-infrared (NIR) luminescence properties of lanthanide in these systems, the design and utilization of Ln(3+)/zeolite as new building blocks for the fabrication of multicolor oriented zeolite thin film, transparent zeolite-polymer hybrid materials and luminescence sensors.