Fluoreszierende Materialien

The invention relates to fluorescent materials with a matrix based on silicic acid (hetero) polycondensates, with Er->3+ ions embedded in the matrix and, if necessary, other additives. Moreover, the invention relates to the production of these materials and their usage. The amount of Er->3+ ions is between 1 and 50% by weight and the Er->3+ ions are fixed to nanoscale particles and/or complexed with one or several organic compounds which have at least one electron pair donor group. The nanoscale particles have diameters of <= 20 nm and the portion of nanoscale particles lies between 0 and 40% by volume. The silicic acid (hetero) polycondensate is a hydrolytic (pre-)condensate of one or several hydrolytically condensatable compounds of silicon and, if necessary, of other elements from the group comprising B, Al, Ge, P, As, Sb, Sn, Pb of the transition metals, lanthanides and actinides, and/or of the above mentioned compounds of derived precondensates. 5 to 100 mole percent of the hydrol ytically (pre-)condensed compounds based on monomer compounds are derived from silanes of the general formula I, SiR<-a X<-b, in which residues R and X are equal or dissimilar and have the following meaning: R = alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl or arylalkyl, whereby these residues can be interrupted by oxygen or sulfur atoms or NH groups and/or spiro, oxiran, cyclical ...