Copper oxide and selenide nanoparticles embedded into sol-gel-derived silica glasses doped with europium

The silica sol-gel derived glasses co-doped with CuxO and CuxSe nanoparticles and Eu3+ ions have been fabricated. The analysis of luminescence spectra of a series of glasses with different composition allows us to suppose the direct energy transfer between copper oxide nanoparticle and Eu3+ ion. A luminescence signal of europium ions occurs as the result of excitation of the complex active centres (SiO2:Cu2O:Eu3+) in the absorption range of copper oxide.