Excitation Energy-Transfer Processes in the Sensitization Luminescence of Europium in a Highly Luminescent Complex

The excitation energy transfer (EET) pathways in the sensitization luminescence of Eu^III and the excitation energy migration between the different ligands in [Eu(fod)₃dpbt] [where fod=6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octanedione and dpbt=2-(N,N-diethylanilin-4-yl)-4,6-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine], exhibiting well-separated fluorescence excitation and phosphorescence bands of the different ligands, were investigated by using time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy for the first time. The data clearly revealed that upon the excitation of dpbt, the sensitization luminescence of Eu^III in [Eu(fod)₃dpbt] was dominated by the singlet EET pathway, whereas the triplet EET pathway involving T₁(dpbt) was inefficient. The energy migration from T₁(dpbt) to T₁(fod) in [Eu(fod)₃dpbt] was not observed. Moreover, upon the excitation of fod, a singlet EET pathway for the sensitization of Eu^III luminescence, including the energy migration from S₁(fod) to S₁(dpbt) was revealed, in addition to the triplet EET pathway involving T₁(fod). Under the excitation of dpbt at 410 nm, [Eu(fod)₃dpbt] exhibited an absolute quantum yield for Eu^III luminescence of 0.59 at 298 K. This work provides a solid and elegant example for the concept that singlet EET pathway could dominate the sensitization luminescence of Eu^III in some complexes.     

Efficient sensitization of europium, ytterbium, and neodymium functionalized tris-dipicolinate lanthanide complexes through tunable charge-transfer excited states

A series of push-pull donor-pi-conjugated dipicolinic acid ligands and related tris-dipicolinate europium and lutetium complexes have been prepared. The ligands present broad absorption and emission transitions in the visible spectral range unambiguously assigned to charge-transfer transitions (CT) by means of time-dependent density functional theory calculations. The photophysical properties (absorption, emission, luminescence quantum yield, and lifetime) of the corresponding europium complexes were thoroughly investigated. Solvatochromism and temperature effects clearly confirm that Eu(III) sensitization directly occurs from the ligand CT state. In addition, modulation of the energy of the CT donating state by changing the nature of the donor fragment allows the optimal energy of the antennae for europium sensitization to be determined, and this optimal energy was found to be close to the (5)D 1 accepting state. Finally, this CT sensitization process has been successfully extended to near-infrared emitters (neodymium and ytterbium).     

Synthesis, crystal structure, and luminescent properties of novel Eu3+ heterocyclic beta-diketonate complexes with bidentate nitrogen donors

New tris(heterocyclic beta-diketonato)europium(III) complexes of the general formula Eu(PBI)3.L [where HPBI = 3-phenyl-4-benzoyl-5-isoxazolone and L = H2O, 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), 4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bipyridine (dmbpy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), or 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (bath)] were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), 1H NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Single-crystal X-ray structures have been determined for the complexes Eu(PBI)3.H2O.EtOH and Eu(PBI)3.phen. The complex Eu(PBI)3.H2O.EtOH is mononuclear, and the central Eu3+ ion is coordinated by eight oxygen atoms to form a bicapped trigonal prism coordination polyhedron. Six oxygens are from the three bidentate HPBI ligands, one is from a water molecule, and another is from an ethanol molecule. On the other hand, the crystal structure of Eu(PBI)3.phen reveals a distorted square antiprismatic geometry around the europium atom. The room-temperature PL spectra of the europium(III) complexes are composed of the typical Eu3+ red emission, assigned to transitions between the first excited state (5D0) and the multiplet (7F0-4). The results demonstrate that the substitution of solvent molecules by bidentate nitrogen ligands in Eu(PBI)3.H2O.EtOH richly enhances the quantum yield and lifetime values. To elucidate the energy transfer process of the europium complexes, the energy levels of the relevant electronic states have been estimated. Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters (Omega2 and Omega4) were determined from the emission spectra for Eu3+ ion based on the 5D0 --> 7F2 and 5D0 --> 7F4 electronic transitions, respectively, and the 5D0 --> 7F1 magnetic dipole allowed transition was taken as the reference. The high values obtained for the 4f-4f intensity parameter Omega2 for europium complexes suggest that the dynamic coupling mechanism is quite operative in these compounds.     

Tuning the triplet energy levels of pyrazolone ligands to match the 5D0 level of europium(III)

Three pyrazolone-based ligands, namely 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-(1-naphthoyl)-5-pyrazolone (HL1), 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-(4-dimethylaminobenzoyl)-5-pyrazolone (HL2), and 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-(4-cyanobenzoyl)-5-pyrazolone (HL3), were synthesized by introducing electron-poor or electron-rich aryl substituents at the 4-position of the pyrazolone ring. Their corresponding europium complexes Eu(LX)3(H2O)2 and Eu(LX)3(TPPO)(H2O) (X = 1-3) were characterized by photophysical studies. The characteristic Eu(III) emission of these complexes with at most 9.2 x 10(-3) of fluorescent quantum yield was observed at room temperature. The results show that the modification of ligands tunes the triplet energy levels of three pyrazolone-based ligands to match the 5D0 energy level of Eu3+ properly and improves the energy transfer efficiency from antenna to Eu3+, therefore enhancing the Eu(III) emission intensity. The highest energy transfer efficiency and probability of lanthanide emission of Eu(L1)3(H2O)2 are 35.1% and 2.6%, respectively, which opens up broad prospects for improving luminescent properties of Eu(III) complexes by the modification of ligands. Furthermore, the electroluminescent properties of Eu(L1)3(TPPO)(H2O) were also investigated.     

新型铕,铽(Ⅲ)三元配合物的合成、表征及发光性能

采用Claisen缩合反应设计合成了β-二酮配体1-(4-溴苯)-4,4,4-三氟丁烷-1,3-二酮(BPT),并合成了相应的新型稀土Eu,Tb(Ⅲ)三元配合物。通过元素分析、1H NMR谱、红外光谱、紫外光谱、荧光光谱和磷光光谱技术对合成的产物进行了表征和分析。红外光谱分析表明:BPT中存在着酮式-烯醇式互变;配合物中的稀土离子与BPT中的氧原子以及Phen中的氮原子形成了配位键。紫外光谱表明配合物主要是由第一配体BPT吸收能量。荧光光谱显示Eu(BPT)3Phen的发光强度较大,进一步的研究表明,BPT的最低三重态能级与Eu3+的5D0能级匹配较好。     

Short Radiative Lifetime and Non-Triplet Sensitization in Near-Infrared-Luminescent Yb(III) Complex with Tripodal Schiff Base

We prepared Ln(III) (Ln=Eu, Gd, and Yb) complexes with a tripodal Schiff base, tris[2-(5-methylsalicylideneimino)ethyl]amine (H₃L) and studied their photophysical properties. Upon ligand excitation, YbL showed Yb(III)-centered luminescence in the near-infrared region. While the overall quantum yield (0.60(1)%) of YbL in acetonitrile was moderate among the reported values for Yb(III) complexes, its radiative lifetime (0.33(2) ms) was significantly shorter than those reported previously. We propose that the ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) state mediated the sensitization in YbL. The emission and excitation spectra of EuL indicated the participation of the LMCT state in the sensitization. The radiative lifetime (0.84(7) ms) for EuL in the solid state was rather short compared to those of reported Eu(III) complexes. Our results show that the Yb(III) complex with the Schiff base ligand has two features: the short radiative lifetime and the non-triplet sensitization path.     

Spectroscopic study on the photophysical properties of novel lanthanide complexes with long chain mono-L phthalate (L=hexadecyl, octadecyl and eicosyl)

Ortho-phthalic anhydride was modified with long chain alcohol (1-hexadecanol, 1-octadecanol and 1-eicosanol) to their corresponding mono-L phthalate (L=hexadecyl, octadecyl and eicosyl), i.e. monohexadecyl phthalate (16-Phth), monooctadecyl phthalate (18-Phth), and monoeicosyl phthalate (20-Phth), respectively. Nine novel lanthanide (Eu(3+), Tb(3+) and Dy(3+)) complexes with these three mono-L phthalate ligands were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectra. The photophysical properties of these complexes were studied in detail with various spectroscopes such as ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra, low temperature phosphorescence spectra and fluorescent spectra. The ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra show some band shifts with the different chain-length of phthalate monoester and homologous lanthanide complexes. From the low temperature phosphorescent emission, the triplet state energies for these three ligands were determined to be around 22,650 cm(-1) (16-Phth), 23,095 cm(-1) (18-Phth) and 22,400 cm(-1) (20-Phth), respectively, suggesting they are suitable for the sensitization of the luminescence of Eu(3+), Tb(3+) and Dy(3+). The fluorescence excitation and emission spectra for these lanthanides complexes of the three ligands take agreement with the above predict from energy match.     

Photophysical properties of novel lanthanide (Tb3+, Dy3+, Eu3+) complexes with long chain para-carboxyphenol ester p-L-benzoate (L=dodecanoyloxy, myristoyloxy, palmitoyloxy and stearoyloxy)

In this paper, a series of 12 binary luminescent lanthanide coordination compounds with long chain p-carboxyphenol ester were assembled. Both elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy allowed to determine the complexes formula: LnL3, where Ln=Tb, Dy, Eu; L=p-dodecanoyloxybenzoate (12-OBA), p-myristoyloxybenzoate (14-OBA), p-palmitoyloxybenzoate (16-OBA) and p-stearoyloxybenzoate (18-OBA), respectively. The photophysical properties of these complexes were studied in detail with various of spectroscopies such as ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra, low temperature phosphorescence spectra and fluorescent spectra. The ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra showed that some bands shift with the different chain length of p-carboxyphenol ester. From the low temperature phosphorescent emission, the triplet state energies for these four ligands were determined to be around 24,242 cm-1 (12-OBA), 24,612 cm-1 (14-OBA), 24,084 cm-1 (16-OBA) and 24,125 cm-1 (18-OBA), respectively, suggesting they are suitable for the sensitization of the above lanthanide ions, especially for Tb3+ and Dy3+. The fluorescence excitation and emission spectra for these lanthanide complexes of the four ligands take agreement with the above predict from energy match.     

Excited states of phosphorescent platinum(II) complexes containing N wedge C wedge N-coordinating tridentate ligands: spectroscopic investigations and time-dependent density functional theory calculations

The absorption and emission spectra of the Pt(II) complexes containing N wedge C wedge N-coordinating tridentate ligands, platinum(II) 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene chloride [Pt(dpb)Cl] and platinum(II) 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)toluene chloride [Pt(dpt)Cl], together with their corresponding free ligands, 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene (dpbH) and 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)toluene (dptH), have been analyzed by density functional theory (DFT) for the ground state and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) for the excited states. T(1)(A(1)) and S(1)(B(2)) of the complexes (in C(2)(v) symmetry) were assigned on the basis of the calculated excitation energies as well as comparison of the experimental spectroscopic properties and the calculated states' characteristics. The calculated excitation energies for T(1) and S(1) of the complexes as well as those for T(1) of the free ligands were in good agreement with their observed values within 600 cm(-1). The d-pi* characters of the excited states were evaluated from the change in electron densities between the ground and excited states by Mulliken population analysis; values of 25% for T(1) and 32% for S(1) were obtained for both complexes. The calculated values of d-pi* character were found to be consistent with the reported emission lifetimes as well as the observed emission energy shifts from the corresponding free ligands. Most spectroscopic properties of the complexes and the free ligands, which include solvatochromic shift, Stokes shifts, methyl substitution shifts, and emission spectra profiles, were well explained from the calculation results.     

YTaO4：Gd,Eu体系光致发光中的能量传递

Yttrium orthotantalate co doped by Eu 3+ and Gd 3+ has been synthesized by solid state method. The emission and excitation spectra of YTaO4: Gd, Eu are studied in detail. In the excitation spectra of Eu 3+5D 0→ 7F2 transition emission in YTaO4:Gd, Eu, there appear excitations of Gd3+ and TaO43- group, which indicate energy transfer from Gd 3+ and TaO4 3- group to Eu 3+ in the process of luminescence. The excitation spectra of Gd 3+ emission(λ=312 5 nm) including strong excitation of charge transfer of group show energy transfer from host lattice to Gd 3+ . So there are two ways of energy transfer in YTaO4:Gd,Eu system. The strong evidences from excitation spectra, emission spectra and diffusive reflection spectra of this system show that Gd 3+ can play an intermediate role in the process of luminescence. There is energy transfer from TaO 3- 4 to Gd 3+ and finally to Eu 3+ via the charge transfer state and spectral overlap. The energy transfer from TaO 3- 4 to Gd 3+ is a dominating process in this system.     

A study of the fluorescence of some newly synthesized europium complexes with pyrazolone derivatives

Some europium complexes with pyrazolone derivatives and 1,10-phenanthroline were synthesized and characterized. The europium ion was found to coordinate to O atoms of the pyrazolone derivatives and to N atoms of 1,10-phenanthroline. A strongly ligand-localized UV absorption leads to the europium-centered emissions between 580 and 750 nm which were assigned as the 5D0-->7F0,1,2,3,4 and 5D1-->7F3,4 transitions. A low site symmetry for the Eu3+ ion was confirmed from the observation of 5D0-->7F0 emission and from the splitting of the other bands. In contrast to many Eu complexes that have been investigated a rather weak emission was measured by introduction of a Schiff base to form a ternary complex with the pyrazolone derivative. The long fluorescence lifetimes of these complexes suggest an energy transfer process from ligands to Eu3+ ion through the triplet state of the ligands.     

Synthesis and cofluorescence of Eu(Y) complexes with salicylic acid and o-phenanthroline

A series of dinuclear complexes of salicylic acid (HSal) and o-phenanthroline (Phen) with different molar ratios of Eu3+ to Y3+ have been synthesized. Their compositions are Eu(x)Y(1-x) (Sal)3(Phen) (x = 0 to approximately 1). Their UV spectra, IR spectra, and fluorescence spectra were studied. The UV spectra of the complexes reflect essentially absorption of the ligands for the fact that no obvious change of wavelength and band shape is found between the spectra of the complexes and that of the ligands except slight red shift. The IR absorption spectra indicate that salicylic acid is coordinated to the rare earth ions and chemical bonds are formed between rare earth ions and nitrogen atoms of o-phenanthroline. The fluorescence spectra of the complexes indicate that the fluorescence emission intensity of europium ion was enhanced by the addition of Y3+, which is referred to as cofluorescence. These facts show that not only the ligands but also the yttrium complex can transfer the absorbed energy to Eu3+ ion in the complexes. Formation of polynuclear complexes appears to be responsible for cofluorescence.     

Judd-Ofelt Analysis on Trifluoroacetate Europium Complexes for Liquid Laser Media

Four europium trifluoroacetate complexes, Eu(CF₃COO)₃·bpy(bpy=2,2′-bipyridine)(1), Eu(CF₃COO)₃· phen(phen=1,10-phenanthroline)(2), Eu(CF₃COO)₃·2bp(bp=benzophenone)(3) and Eu(CF₃COO)₃·2tppo(tppo=triphenyl-phosphine oxide)(4) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy, photoluminescence(PL) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The PL spectra of the complexes at room temperature show the strong typical Eu³⁺ ion red emission, due to the efficient energy “antenna absorption” of ligands and transitions of Eu³⁺ ion between ⁵D₀→⁷F_J(J=0―4). The long lifetime and high quantum yield reflect that the multiphonon relaxations by coupling to O―H and C―H vibrations were reduced. According to the photoluminescent spectra, the Judd-Ofelt parameters Ω₂ and Ω₄ of the complexes were calculated and the radiative properties were also presented. The ⁵D₀ radiative lifetime, quantum yield and the stimulated emission cross-section of the complexes are excellent, which prove that they have promising optical properties for liquid laser. The thermal analyses indicate that they are quite stable to heat.     

Cofluorescence of dyes in nanoparticles from metal ion complexes with diketones

Nanoparticles (NPs) from diketonates of Al³⁺, Sc³⁺, In³⁺ and Ln³⁺ doped with dye molecules are synthesized. The appearance of sensitized fluorescence (cofluorescence) of dye molecules due to energy transfer from the ensemble of complexes forming NPs is revealed in aqueous solutions of these NPs. It is shown that the dye cofluorescence in NPs from Eu complexes occurs as a result of two distinct processes of energy transfer (ET) to dye molecules: from singlet levels of ligands and from Eu³⁺ ions. It is found that the efficiency of ET from Eu³⁺ ions to dyes in NPs from Eu(DBM)₃phen is one order of magnitude higher than the efficiency of ET from S₁-levels of ligands to dyes in NPs from Al complexes with the same ligands. It is shown that the excitation of dye molecules through ligands of NPs results in the enhancement of the intensity of their fluorescence by a factor of 1.5–2 orders of magnitude compared to the excitation of their own first band of absorption.     

蒽醌冠醚铕离子络合物分子内能量转移

研究了蒽醌冠醚及其铕离子络合物的光物理性质 .研究结果表明 ,选择性激发铕离子络合物中的蒽醌冠醚能发生分子内能量转移 ,观察到铕离子的发光 .荧光衰减测试表明由于冠醚的包络作用使得铕离子络合物的荧光寿命较未络合铕离子的寿命有所延长 .向蒽醌冠醚铕离子络合物的甲基四氢呋喃溶液中加入水后 ,其荧光强度明显减弱 ,这说明了蒽醌冠醚对铕离子的络合作用不完全 ,未能有效地阻挡水和溶剂对铕离子的影响 .     

[（n—C4H9）4N][EuxM1—x（TTA）4]（M=La、Sm、Gd、Tb）的光致发光

合成了一类组成为[(n-C4H9)4N][EuxM1-x(TTA)4](M=La、Sm、Gd、Tb）的固体配合物，通过测定其红外光谱，X射线粉末衍射谱和荧光光谱，研究了配合物结构和发光性质随Eu^3 浓度变化的规律。红外光谱和XRD谱的分析结果表明，在体系中没有新化合物生成，而荧光光谱分析结果表明发光强度与Eu^3 浓度不成线性关系，不发光的基质配合物组分对发光有不同大小和不同类型的影响，提出一种可能的发光机制解释这一共发光现象。     

GdF3∶Eu3+/NaGdF4∶Eu3+纳米晶的水热合成及发光性质

采用水热法,以聚乙二醇(400)为分散剂,以NaOH和HNO3溶液调节初始溶液pH值,合成GdF3∶Eu3+和NaGdF4∶Eu3+纳米晶。XRD和SEM结果表明:在酸性溶液(pH=3,5)、中性溶液(pH=7)和碱性溶液(pH=9)中,分别获得具有正交结构的GdF3∶Eu3+纳米晶,GdF3∶Eu3+和NaGdF4∶Eu3+混合晶,六方结构NaGdF4∶Eu3+棒状微米晶。根据Scherrer公式估算pH=3和pH=5时制备纳米晶的一次性粒径分别为49和28 nm。样品的发射光谱结果表明:特征发射峰来自于5D2、5D1、5D0到7FJ跃迁。在主晶相为GdF3样品中,主发射峰来自于Eu3+的5D0→7F1的磁偶极跃迁;晶相为NaGdF4样品的主发射峰来自于Eu3+的5D0→7F2电偶极跃迁。5D0→7F1和5D0→7F2跃迁发射相对强度比值显示:Eu3+在NaGdF4晶体中的格位对称性下降。激发光谱显示出Gd3+和Eu3+具有较好的能量传递。     

3-Phenyl-4-benzoyl-5-isoxazolonate complex of Eu3+ with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide as a promising light-conversion molecular device

Three new europium complexes, [Eu(PBI)3.3H2O] (1), [Eu(PBI)3.2TOPO] (2), and [Eu(PBI)3.2TPPO.H2O] (3) (where HPBI, TOPO, and TPPO stand for 3-phenyl-4-benzoyl-5-isoxazolone, tri-n-octylphosphine oxide, and triphenylphosphine oxide, respectively), with different neutral ligands were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, (1)H NMR, thermogravimetric analysis, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The coordination geometries of the complexes were calculated using the Sparkle/AM1 (Sparkle Model for the Calculation of Lanthanide Complexes within the Austin Model 1) model. The ligand-Eu3+ energy-transfer rates were calculated in terms of a model of the intramolecular energy-transfer process in lanthanide coordination compounds reported in the literature. The room-temperature PL spectra of the europium(III) complexes are composed of the typical Eu3+ red emission, assigned to transitions between the first excited state (5D0) and the multiplet (7F(0-4)). On the basis of emission spectra and lifetimes of the 5D0-emitting level, the emission quantum efficiency (eta) was determined. The results clearly show that the substitution of water molecules by TOPO leads to greatly enhanced quantum efficiency (i.e., 26% vs 92%) and longer 5D0 lifetimes (250 vs 1160 micros). This can be ascribed to a more efficient ligand-to-metal energy transfer and a less nonradiative 5D0 relaxation process. Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters (Omega2 and Omega4) were determined from the emission spectra for the Eu3+ ion based on the 5D0 --> 7F2 and 5D0 --> 7F4 electronic transitions, respectively, and the 5D0 --> 7F1 magnetic-dipole-allowed transition was taken as the reference. A point to be noted in these results is the relatively high value of the Omega2 intensity parameter for all of the complexes. This may be interpreted as being a consequence of the hypersensitive behavior of the 5D0 --> 7F2 transition. The dynamic coupling mechanism is, therefore, dominant, indicating that the Eu3+ ion is in a highly polarizable chemical environment.     

多羧酸根铕二元配合物的合成及光谱分析

分别以1,3,5-苯三甲酸(H₃BTC)、苯六甲酸(H₆MTA)和1,2,3,4,5,6-环己六甲酸(H₆CCA)为配体合成了Eu(III)的二元发光配合物Eu(BTC)·2H₂O, Eu₂(MTA)·4H₂O 和Eu₂(CCA)·4H₂O. 通过元素分析、红外光谱和等离子体原子发射光谱对其化学组成进行了结构表征, 表征结果与理论吻合良好. 利用荧光分度计, 研究了所制备配合物室温条件下的荧光性能(荧光激发光谱、发射光谱、荧光寿命和量子效率), 结果表明: 该三种配合物在紫外光照射下, 均发射Eu(III)离子的特征红光, 其中Eu₂(MTA)·4H₂O(量子效率＝10.25%, 荧光寿命＝0.36 ms)的荧光性能最好, 这说明配体H₆MTA 的能级与Eu³⁺离子能级匹配程度很好. 另外, 通过热分析对配合物的热稳定性进行了分析, 结果表明: 该三种配合物均具有良好的热稳定性, 主要分解温度远高于其他β-二酮配合物.     

Supramolecular coordination chemistry in aqueous solution: lanthanide ion-induced triple helix formation

The self-assembly of dinuclear triple helical lanthanide ion complexes (helicates), in aqueous solution, is investigated utilizing laser-induced, lanthanide luminescence spectroscopy. A series of dinuclear lanthanide (III) helicates (Ln(III)) based on 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid, dpa) coordinating units was synthesized by linking two dpa moieties using the organic diamines (1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane (chxn-R,R) and 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane (dpm). Luminescence excitation spectroscopy of the Eu3+ 7F0-->5D0 transition shows the apparent cooperative formation of neutral triple helical complexes in aqueous solution, with a [Eu2L3] stoichiometry. Eu3+ excitation peak wavelengths and excited-state lifetimes correspond to those of the [Eu(dpa)3]3- model complex. CD studies of the Nd(III) helicate Nd2(dpa-chxn-R,R)3 reveal optical activity of the f-f transitions, indicating that the chiral linking group induces a stable chirality at the metal ion center. Molecular mechanics calculations using CHARMm suggest that the delta delta configuration at the Nd3+ ion centers is induced by the chxn-R,R linker. Stability constants were determined for both ligands with Eu3+, yielding identical results: log K = 31.6 +/- 0.2 (K in units of M-4). Metal-metal distances calculated from Eu3+-->Nd3+ energy-transfer experiments show that the complexes have metal-metal distances close to those calculated by molecular modeling. The fine structure in the Tb3+ emission bands is consistent with the approximate D3 symmetry as anticipated for helicates.