In the present work, the cinnamide based organic-inorganic hybrid luminescent materials were prepared by using sol-gel technique, in which both the components are covalently linked via Si-C bonds. The organic precursor N-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)cinnamide (Cn-Si) was synthesized by (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane being reacted with cinnamoyal chloride. Finally, novel hybrid materials were prepared successfully through hydrolysis and polycondensation processes between the alkoxide groups of precursors Cn-Si and tetraethylorthosilane (TEOS) in the presence of europium nitrate. We have characterized thoroughly the prepared samples using FT-IR, thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The results indicate that these materials exhibit the excellent thermal stability up to 350 degrees C. The X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the amorphous nature of the developed materials. The rare-earth doped hybrid materials have exhibited an intense green emission at 530 nm with CIE chromaticity coordinates (0.4801, 0.4669). Whereas, the un-doped one gives some remarkable blue emission properties under UV excitation. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.