Abstract
The features of calcium phosphate synthesis with an apatite structure from aqueous–alcoholic solutions were established. The phase composition and structure of the synthesized samples were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The effect of the molar mass of monohydric alcohols on the morphology and size of apatite nanoparticles was systematically investigated. It was shown that an increase in the molar mass of the alcohol leads to particle growth, with the average size increasing from approximately 30 nm in a methanol medium to about 170 nm in an isoamyl alcohol solution, which is attributed to changes in polarity, viscosity, and nucleation conditions.
Europium(III)-doped hydroxyapatite was synthesized via coprecipitation, ensuring the incorporation of Eu3+ ions into the apatite lattice without significant structural distortion. The apatite exhibited intense red emission with a maximum at ~613 nm corresponding to the 5D0 → 7F2 transition of Eu3+ ions, indicating a low-symmetry local environment. Additional emission bands at ~595 nm (5D0 → 7F1) and ~740 nm (5D0 → 7F4) were also observed.
For the first time, polymer composite films based on polymethyl methacrylate filled with europium(III)-doped hydroxyapatite were prepared by the solution casting method. The resulting films retained the characteristic luminescent properties of the filler, demonstrating that the polymer matrix does not induce quenching of Eu3+ emission. The proposed approach enables the formation of homogeneous and optically transparent composite films with filler contents of up to 10 wt. %. The composite retained the characteristic luminescent properties of the inorganic filler, demonstrating the absence of significant quenching effects from the polymer matrix. The developed approach opens new opportunities for the fabrication of functional hybrid materials with controlled optical properties, which are promising for applications in biomedical imaging, sensing, and advanced photonic devices.
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