AbstractTransparent polymers when incorporated with strongly fluorescent europium chelates were found to be responding to excitation with UV radiation. In this work, two novel europium chelates have been synthesized using the β‐diketones dimedone and phenylazo dimedone along with 1,10‐phenanthroline. These chelates were characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurements, UV, IR, and ESI mass spectral techniques. The chelates synthesized with metal : β‐diketone : 1,10‐phenanthroline ratio 1 : 3 : 1 were incorporated into polymer matrices. Four polymers, polyethylene vinyl acetate or acetate (EVA), polystyrene (PS), poly methyl methacryalate (PMMA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used for the studies. All these, except the liquid oligomer PEG were cast into thin films. PEG was used as such for the studies. The photoluminescence spectra of the plain polymers were found to be having peaks very close to the absorption peaks of the polymers doped with europium chelate. This observation can be used in optical devices. Thermal analyses like TG/DTG/DTA of the polymer films were conducted to ascertain the thermal stability of the material. The SEM analyses of the films indicated a smooth surface with uniform distribution of the doped chelate. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011