Functional luminescent hybrid materials have emerged as fascinating and promising materials for their versatile applications. In this report, novel efficient luminescent lanthanide (Tb3+, Eu3+) hybrid materials with a new kind of amide-type beta-diketone ligands covalently bonded to the silica gels have been assembled through the sol-gel progresses. The hybrid materials have been characterized by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, UV-vis absorption spectra, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermal analyses. The relationship between structures and photophysical behaviors of these materials was discussed in detail. The materials assembled by the precursors containing aromatic end group (Si-L-1-Ln) exhibited longer luminescence lifetimes and higher quantum efficiencies, suggesting that the existence of a suitable conjugated system should allow a more efficient energy transfer. Under UV irradiation, the materials emitted either bright green light or red light with different intensity which may lead to potential functional applications in optical devices and electronic devices. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.