Intensification of luminescence of Europium-EDTA complex in polyvinyl pyrrolidone films by copper nanoparticles

Stable copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were prepared and incorporated into polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) films together with pre-prepared complex of europium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EuEDTA). From the comparison of the excitation spectrum of the complex alone and of the complex in conjunction with CuNPs an increased fluorescence intensity of the complex is observed as the result of interaction of the complex with surface plasmons of copper. This effect is maximal when the extinction band of CuNPs coincides with the absorption maximum of the complex, as much more light reaches the excited state of europium in the complex during the excitation events as the result of light scattered by copper plasmons. An additional band was observed in the excitation spectrum of the complex in co-doped by the CuNPs around 320÷390 nm which we attribute to electron transfer from CuNPs to excited state of europium.