Synthesis of luminescent gel-like materials based on glutamate and neodymium(III)

We have found that monosodium glutamate, a common food additive, combines with neodymium(III) chloride to form a gel-like luminescent material. Preliminary rheology tests suggest that arrested phase separation causes the material's gel behavior at high test frequencies. Luminescence spectra showed not only the expected Nd3+ emissions (upon 582 nm excitation) but also a broad emission in the infrared with maximum on 980 nm (upon 289 nm excitation), preliminarily assigned to a matrix effect. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.