Effect of xanthyletin on the structural and fluorescence properties of a silica-based hybrid composite

This work studied the fluorescence emission and the structural properties of a hybrid composite based on a silica matrix with embedded xanthyletin. The xanthyletin was easily extracted from the Brosimum rubescens wood using ethyl alcohol. Results for the as-obtained extract from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) showed a high amount of a compound identified as xanthyletin (C14H12O3). The extracted xanthyletin was embedded into a silica matrix using the sol-gel method. The evolution of the fluorescence emission and structural properties were analyzed for the hybrid composite as the temperature increased from RT to 1000 °C. Results show that the interaction between the organic and inorganic components gives an increment of one magnitude order in the fluorescence emission concerning the xanthyletin in the ethyl alcohol. Also, the fluorescence reached its maximum intensity in the sample heat-treated at 200 °C. This behavior is ascribed to the interactions between the xanthyletin and the silica matrix. In addition, the embedded xanthyletin induces a structural rearrangement in the silica matrix. Thus, the fluorescence intensity appears to show a close relationship with the Si–O network arrangement.