A hydrotalcite-like compound in which magnesium(II) was partially substituted by zinc(II) in the hydrotalcite-like layers and 8-hydroxyquinoline was dispersed into the anions in the interlayer region was synthesized by a coprecipitation method. Each Zn^2＋ ion in the layers was coordinated by 8-hydroxyquino- line through the oxygen and nitrogen atoms, making a strong-fluorescent Zn-containing hydrotalcite-like compound (Zn-HTLC) that has never been reported before. The sample has been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, FT-IR techniques, thermogravimetric analysis, UV/Vis spectrography, fluorescence spectrum, and its composition and structure were determined. It was found that the Zn-HTLC could radiate strong light (501 nm) under ultraviolet radiation, demonstrating that the zinc(II) dispersed in the hydrotalcite-like layers can prevent the fluorescence quenching effect efficiently. The Zn^2＋ ion in the layers was coordinated by the ligand in the interlayer region, forming a special self-assembly structure that may enhance the fluorescence intensity. Otherwise, the result of TG-DSC measurement clearly shows the enhanced thermal stability of the Zn-HTLC compared with that of Mg-Al hydrotalcite. The Zn-HTLC may become a promising candidate for the luminescent functional materials.

Key words: hydrotalcite-like compound, fluorescence, 8-quinolinolato zinc, intercalation, assembly, supramolecule