Optical properties of vitrified rare-earth soaps

Transparent glass samples were obtained by fast cooling of molten lanthanide(III) octadecanoates Ln(C17H35COO)3 (lanthanide = neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium). The tendency of the material to crystallise is reduced by the presence of long alkyl chains. Absorption and luminescence spectra were recorded. The intensities of the f–f transitions were parametrised…