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Synthesis and luminescence of lanthanide complexes of a branched macrocyclic ligand containing 2,2[prime]-bipyridine and 9-methyl-1,10-phenanthroline subunits

Journal Article · · Inorganic Chemistry; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ic00083a020· OSTI ID:7070177
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Universita di Bologna (Italy)
  2. IPCMS, Groupe des Materiaux Inorganiques, Strasbourg (France)

The synthesis of the branched-macrocyclic ligand 1 incorporating two 2,2[prime]-bipyridine units in the macrocycle and two 9-methyl-1,10-phenanthroline units in the branches is described as well as the synthesis and the photophysical properties of its Eu[sup 3+], Tb[sup 3+], and Gd[sup 3+] complexes. These complexes do not decompose in water in contrast to those of the related ligand containing 2,2[prime]-bipyridine instead of 1,10-phenanthroline. They show intense absorption bands in the UV region due to absorption in the ligand. The emission spectra of the [Eu[contained in]1][sup 3+] and [Tb[contained in]1][sup 3+] complexes obtained upon ligand excitation show the usual Eu[sup 3+] and Tb[sup 3+] transitions. The pattern of the emission spectrum of the [Eu[contained in]1][sup 3+] complex allows one to assess a low (presumably C[sub 2]) symmetry as the probable site symmetry of the metal ion in the complex. For [Eu[contained in]1][sup 3+] and [Tb[contained in]1][sup 3+], the metal luminescence excitation spectra in water match the ligand absorption spectra while in methanol the absorption due to the phenanthroline is missing. This suggests that in water the efficiency of the ligand-to-metal energy transfer is similar for the two chromophores while in methanol phenanthroline transfers energy to the metal ion less efficiently than bipyridine. The luminescence quantum yield values in water and methanol confirm this interpretation. The lifetimes of the Eu[sup 3+] and Tb[sup 3+] emitting state indicate that the shielding of the metal ion from solvent molecules is rather inefficient. For the [Tb[contained in]1][sup 3+] complex the lifetimes are temperature dependent which is attributed to the presence of an equilibrium between the metal emitting state and triplet excited states of the ligand; this process is most likely responsible for the low luminescence quantum yields and the oxygen effect on the Tb[sup 3+] luminescence.

OSTI ID:
7070177
Journal Information:
Inorganic Chemistry; (United States), Journal Name: Inorganic Chemistry; (United States) Vol. 33:5; ISSN 0020-1669; ISSN INOCAJ
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English