A new luminescent montmorillonite/borane nanocomposite

Abstract Herein we present the first luminescent montmorillonite/borane nanocomposite materials, formed by the modification of montmorillonite phyllosilicate matrices with cysteamine and the highly fluorescent boron hydride (borane) compound anti -B 18 H 22 . Immobilization of anti -B 18 H 22 in small quantities into the montmorillonite matrix leads to materials with a luminescence that is dependent on the borane concentration. At the lower concentration exceeds even the fluorescence intensity of the original highly fluorescent borane compound. The use of layer silicate – a cheap and naturally-available mineral – as a carrier of the borane, which, on the contrary, does not occur naturally, reduces the amount of expensive borane required for useful luminescence in the solid-state and thus provides a less expensive luminophore. Is the first usage of a blue borane laser compound for nanocomposite with montmorillonite. For purposes of comparison we have also studied a bentonite/borane composite.