Fluorescent nanohybrids materials were fabricated from organosilane-functionalized halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), covalently bonded to new mixed-valence Cu(I,II) complex (CuCuII)-Cu-I (HOBt)(2)center dot CH3OH (HOBt = 1-hydroxybenzotriazole)]. Morphology, composition and optical properties of nanohybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXS), Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and steady-state fluorescencec. The copper (I, II) complex was also characterized for the sake of comparison. Molecular immobilization and molecular geometry changes due to halloysite environment changed the photoluminescence behavior of the copper (I,II) complex, allowing HNTs-g-(CuCuII)-Cu-I(HOBt)(2)center dot CH3OH nanohybrids to display a tri-component light as observed by fluorescence microscopy, making them an interesting option for attaining white light. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.