A novel layered rare-earth hydroxides/polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel with multicolor photoluminescence behavior

The layered rare-earth hydroxides LEuxTb1-xHs nanosheets were stably isolated in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels via a freeze–thaw method (x: 0–1) due to the hydrogen bond interactions between LEuxTb1-xHs and PVA. The energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ and the Eu3+ concentration quenching effect were inhibited in LEuxTb1-xHs/PVA hydrogels, resulting in the independent photoluminescence (PL) emissions of Eu3+ and Tb3+ in and a corresponding multicolor PL.