Phosphorescent metallic clusters are functionalized and integrated in polyurethane by copolymerization. Solid state quantum yield measurements show a drastic and reversible enhancement of nanocomposite luminescence depending on its surrounding atmosphere.

New luminescent poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites with high content of different hexanuclear octahedral cluster building blocks, namely [Mo₆I₈(C₂F₅COO₆)]²⁻, [Re₆Se₈(CN)₆]⁴⁻ and [W₆Cl₁₄]²⁻ have been prepared by free-radical polymerisation. To do so, cluster complexes bearing a polymerisable ammonium counter-cation have been synthesised. In this way, we demonstrate that ionic assembling is a powerful tool to functionalise easily any type of anionic cluster units to be introduced in a PMMA organic matrix. All samples remain homogeneous, stable during several months, and retain the luminescence properties of the cluster precursor.

Red-NIR luminescent polymers are principally obtained from petroleum-based derivatives in which emitters, usually a critical raw material such as rare-earth or platinum group metal ions, are embedded. Considering the strong ecological impact of their synthesis and the major risk of fossil fuel energy shortage, there is an urgent need to find alternatives. We describe a luminescent nanocomposite based on red-NIR phosphorescent molybdenum nanoclusters, namely Cs₂Mo₆I₈(OCOC₂F₅)₆, embedded in an eco-friendly cellulose biopolymer matrix that is obtained by a simple solvent casting technique. While homogeneity is kept up to 20 wt% of cluster complex doping, annealing hybrids leads to a large increase of their emission efficiency, as demonstrated by quantum yield measurements.

In this paper are reported the results of an investigation of the mechanical and thermoelastic properties of a new series of polysiloxane-based MC-LCEs containing different unsymmetric mesogenic units, siloxane spacers and cross-linkers. The structure of the networks has been varied systematically in order to study their properties. The mechanical properties of polydomain and monodomain elastomers were characterised by stress and strain measurements. The mechanical behaviour of the elastomer networks can be divided into two groups according to the phases they presented. Elastomers that contained flexible cross-linker, C1, and showed a SmC phase, demonstrated a non-linear elastic response when stress was applied in the axis of the domain director, in contrast to earlier experiments. In the axis normal to the director, at low strains, the response was linear and the Young's modulus was ten times lower compared to that in the axis of the director, demonstrating the marked anisotropic nature of these systems. The elastomers containing cross-linker C2 were nematic and showed lower Young's moduli compared to the smectic systems. The thermoelastic response of these systems showed spontaneous elongations up to 88% of strain when the samples were cooled from the isotropic to the liquid crystal phase, supporting stresses of 120 kPa. The properties are discussed in terms of the chemical structure of the networks in order to establish a correlation.

The encapsulation of ZnO nanoparticles (5 nm) coated by cyanobiphenyl units by the sol–gel technique leads to spherical ZnO@SiO ₂ nanoparticles displaying blue emission under UV excitation.