Eu³⁺-based bridged silsesquioxanes for transparent luminescent solar concentrators

The sol-gel preparation of a bridged silsesquioxane containing europium(III) salts and 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone has been achieved from a new ethane tetracarboxamide-based organosilane. Free-standing films with thicknesses up to 440 μm and maximum absolute quantum yield (q) of 0.34 ± 0.03 (excitation at 320 nm) were prepared by the drop cast method, while thin films (∼200-400 nm) spin-coated on glass substrates led to highly luminescent coatings with q = 0.60 ± 0.02 (excitation at 345 nm). The thin films were tested as planar luminescent solar concentrators and the optimized device displays an optical conversion efficiency of 12.3% in the absorbing spectral region of the active layer (300-380 nm).