Photophysical Properties of Sol–gel derived Luminescent Silicone Hybrids Synthesized via Facile Amino‐Ene Reaction

Novel luminescent silicone hybrids (LSHs) containing lanthanide ions were prepared via different sol–gel processes. The precursor, dimethyl ester‐functionalized silane, was synthesized via a facile amino‐ene reaction. The coordinated assembly of the ester ligands and lanthanide ions (Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺ and Dy³⁺) occurred. The ester ligands were immobilized onto the Si‐O network backbone during the preparation of the silicone hybrid materials. The particle size can be controlled to ca 50 nm by adjusting the solvent ratio. The obtained materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), ¹³C NMR, ²⁸Si NMR, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, high‐resolution scanning electronic microscopy and luminescent (excitation and emission) spectroscopy. The coordination state and photophysical performance of the compounds were studied in detail. The terbium‐ and europium‐containing materials show sharp green and red emissions, respectively, which indicate that efficient intramolecular energy transfer took place in these LSHs.     

Bioconjugation of Proteins with a Paramagnetic NMR and Fluorescent Tag

Site‐specific labeling of proteins with lanthanide ions offers great opportunities for investigating the structure, function, and dynamics of proteins by virtue of the unique properties of lanthanides. Lanthanide‐tagged proteins can be studied by NMR, X‐ray, fluorescence, and EPR spectroscopy. However, the rigidity of a lanthanide tag in labeling of proteins plays a key role in the determination of protein structures and interactions. Pseudocontact shift (PCS) and paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) are valuable long‐range structure restraints in structural‐biology NMR spectroscopy. Generation of these paramagnetic restraints generally relies on site‐specific tagging of the target proteins with paramagnetic species. To avoid nonspecific interaction between the target protein and paramagnetic tag and achieve reliable paramagnetic effects, the rigidity, stability, and size of lanthanide tag is highly important in paramagnetic labeling of proteins. Here 4′‐mercapto‐2,2′: 6′,2′′‐terpyridine‐6,6′′‐dicarboxylic acid (4MTDA) is introduced as a a rigid paramagnetic and fluorescent tag which can be site‐specifically attached to a protein by formation of a disulfide bond. 4MTDA can be readily immobilized by coordination of the protein side chain to the lanthanide ion. Large PCSs and RDCs were observed for 4MTDA‐tagged proteins in complexes with paramagnetic lanthanide ions. At an excitation wavelength of 340 nm, the complex formed by protein–4MTDA and Tb³⁺ produces high fluorescence with the main emission at 545 nm. These interesting features of 4MTDA make it a very promising tag that can be exploited in NMR, fluorescence, and EPR spectroscopic studies on protein structure, interaction, and dynamics.     

Synthesis of ferrocene‐containing N‐aryloxo β‐ketoiminate lanthanide complexes and polymerization of ε‐caprolactone

The synthesis, characterization and ε‐caprolactone polymerization behavior of lanthanide amido complexes stabilized by ferrocene‐containing N‐aryloxo functionalized β‐ketoiminate ligand FcCOCH₂C(Me)N(2‐HO‐5‐Bu^t‐C₆H₃) (LH₂, Fc = ferrocenyl) are described. The lanthanide amido complexes [LLnN(SiMe₃)₂(THF)]₂ [Ln = Nd ( 1 ), Sm ( 2 ), Yb ( 3 ), Y ( 4 )] were synthesized in good yields by the amine elimination reactions of LH₂ with Ln[N(SiMe₃)₂]₃(µ‐Cl)Li(THF)₃ in a 1:1 molar ratio in THF. These complexes were characterized by IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy was added for the analysis of complex 4 . The definitive molecular structures of complexes 1 and 3 were determined by X‐ray diffraction studies. Complexes 1 – 4 can initiate the ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone with moderate activity. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Characterization of New 3‐(3‐Hydroxyphenyl)‐4‐ alkyl‐3,4‐dihydrobenzo[e][1,3]oxazepine‐1,5‐dione Compounds

A series of 3‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)‐4‐alkyl‐3,4‐dihydrobenzo[e][1,3]oxazepine‐1,5‐dione compounds with general formula C_nH_2n+1CNO(CO)₂C₆H₄(C₆H₄OH) in which n are even parity numbers from 2 to 18. The structure determinations on these compounds were performed by FT‐IR spectroscopy which indicated that the terminal alkyl chain attached to the oxazepine ring was fully extended. Conformational analysis in DMSO at ambient temperature was carried out for the first time via high resolution ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.     

Lanthanide(III) Complexes of 4,10‐Bis(phosphonomethyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,7‐diacetic acid (trans‐H6do2a2p) in Solution and in the Solid State: Structural Studies Along the Series

Complexes of 4,10‐bis(phosphonomethyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,7‐diacetic acid (trans‐H₆do2a2p, H₆ L ) with transition metal and lanthanide(III) ions were investigated. The stability constant values of the divalent and trivalent metal‐ion complexes are between the corresponding values of H₄dota and H₈dotp complexes, as a consequence of the ligand basicity. The solid‐state structures of the ligand and of nine lanthanide(III) complexes were determined by X‐ray diffraction. All the complexes are present as twisted‐square‐antiprismatic isomers and their structures can be divided into two series. The first one involves nona‐coordinated complexes of the large lanthanide(III) ions (Ce, Nd, Sm) with a coordinated water molecule. In the series of Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Er, Yb, the complexes are octa‐coordinated only by the ligand donor atoms and their coordination cages are more irregular. The formation kinetics and the acid‐assisted dissociation of several Ln^III–H₆ L complexes were investigated at different temperatures and compared with analogous data for complexes of other dota‐like ligands. The [Ce( L )(H₂O)]^3? complex is the most kinetically inert among complexes of the investigated lanthanide(III) ions (Ce, Eu, Gd, Yb). Among mixed phosphonate–acetate dota analogues, kinetic inertness of the cerium(III) complexes is increased with a higher number of phosphonate arms in the ligand, whereas the opposite is true for europium(III) complexes. According to the ¹H NMR spectroscopic pseudo‐contact shifts for the Ce–Eu and Tb–Yb series, the solution structures of the complexes reflect the structures of the [Ce(H L )(H₂O)]^2? and [Yb(H L )]^2? anions, respectively, found in the solid state. However, these solution NMR spectroscopic studies showed that there is no unambiguous relation between ³¹P/¹H lanthanide‐induced shift (LIS) values and coordination of water in the complexes; the values rather express a relative position of the central ions between the N₄ and O₄ planes.     

Selective Binding of Imidazolium Cations in Building Multi‐Component Layers

Addition of 1‐alkyl‐3‐methylimidazolium (C_n‐mim) cations 3 – 5 to a mixture of bis‐phosphonium cation 2 and sodium p‐sulfonatocalix[4]arene ( 1 ) in the presence of lanthanide ions results in the selective binding of an imidazolium cation into the cavity of the calixarene. The result is a multi‐layered solid material with an inherently flexible interplay of the components. Incorporating ethyl‐, n‐butyl‐ or n‐hexyl‐mim cations into the multi‐layers results in significant perturbation of the structure, the most striking effect is the tilting of the plane of the bowl‐shaped calixarene relative to the plane of the multi‐layer, with tilt angles of 7.2, 28.9 and 65.5°, respectively. The lanthanide ions facilitate complexation, but are not incorporated into the structures and, in all cases, the calixarene takes on a 5? charge, with one of the lower‐rim phenolic groups deprotonated. ROESY NMR experiments and other ¹H NMR spectroscopy studies establish the formation of 1:1 supermolecules of C_n‐mim and calixarene, regardless of the ratio of the two components, and indicate that the supermolecules undergo rapid exchange on the NMR spectroscopy timescale.     

卜啉与1,2-(1-吖啶-10’-基-2-氮-2-甲基-环丙-1,3-基)富勒烯非共价体的合成与表征

1,2-（1-Acridin-10＇-yl-2-aza-2-methylprop-1,3-ylene）fullerene was synthesized firstly and characterized by UV-Vis, ^1H NMR, ^13C NMR and electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy, which is capable of forming a stable complex with zinc tetraphenylporphyrin via the axial ligation. The steady state fluorescence studies show efficient quenching of the zinc tetraphenylporphyrin emission upon axial coordination of acridine attached to C60.     

Two Histidines in an α‐Helix: A Rigid Co2+‐Binding Motif for PCS Measurements by NMR Spectroscopy

Pseudocontact shifts (PCS) generated by paramagnetic metal ions present valuable long‐range information in the study of protein structural biology by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Faithful interpretation of PCSs, however, requires complete immobilization of the metal ion relative to the protein, which is difficult to achieve with synthetic metal tags. We show that two histidine residues in sequential turns of an α‐helix provide a binding site for a Co²⁺ ion, which positions the metal ion in a uniquely well‐defined and predictable location. Exchange between the bound and free cobalt is slow on the timescale defined by chemical shifts, but the NMR resonance assignments are nonetheless readily transferred from the diamagnetic to the paramagnetic NMR spectrum by an I_zS_z‐exchange experiment. The double‐histidine‐Co²⁺ motif offers a straightforward, inexpensive, and convenient way of generating precision PCSs in proteins.     

Synthesis,Structures, Luminescent and Magnetic Properties of Heterometallic 5p‐4f Compounds with Ethylenediaminetetra­acetate

A series of heterometallic Ln^III–Sb^III edta‐containing compounds with the formulas [Sb₂(edta)₂Ln]NO₃ · nH₂O [edta = ethylenediaminetetraacetate; Ln = Eu, n = 7 ( 1 ); Gd, n = 7.5 ( 2 ) and Tb, n = 8 ( 3 )] were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses (EA), powder X‐ray diffraction (PXDP), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). Their fluorescence and magnetic properties were also studied. The thermal analysis demonstrates the compounds formation of the antimony, lanthanide ions, and edta^4– ligands. FT‐IR spectra reveal that the antimony and lanthanide ions are connected through the carboxylate bridges. The studies of luminescence properties show that compounds 1 and 3 exhibit typical luminescence in the visible region. Furthermore, magnetic properties reveal compounds 2 and 3 have weak ferromagnetic behavior.     

Sensitized Lanthanide‐Ion Luminescence with Aryl‐Substituted N‐(2‐Nitrophenyl)acetamide‐Derived Chromophores

The syntheses of the two tetraazamacrocyclic ligands L1 and L2 bearing a [(methoxy‐2‐nitrophenyl)amino]carbonyl chromophore, i.e., an N‐(methoxy‐2‐nitrophenyl)acetamide moiety, together with their corresponding lanthanide‐ion complexes are described. A combined spectroscopic (UV/VIS, ¹H‐NMR), structural (X‐ray), and theoretical (DFT) investigation revealed that the absorption properties of the chromophores were dictated by the extent of electronic delocalisation, which in turn was determined by the position of the MeO substituent at the aromatic ring. X‐Ray crystallographic studies showed that when attached to the macrocycle, both isomeric forms of the N‐(methoxy‐2‐nitrophenyl)acetamide unit can participate in coordination, via the C?O, to an encapsulated potassium cation. Luminescence measurements confirmed that such a binding mode also exists in solution for the corresponding lanthanide complexes (q ca. ≤1), with the para‐MeO derivative allowing longer wavelength sensitization (λ_ex 330 nm).     

Structure and Magnetic Properties of Two Lanthanide 1,4‐Phenylenediacetate Compounds

The reactions of Ln(NO₃)₃ with 1,4‐phenylenediacetic acid (H₂PDA) under hydrothermal conditions produced two isostructural lanthanide coordination polymers with the empirical formula [Ln₂(PDA)₃(H₂O)] · 2H₂O [Ln = Nd ( 1 ), Sm ( 2 )]. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses revealed that both contain one‐dimensionalmetal carboxylato chains, which are further connected by the–CH₂C₆H₄CH₂– spacers of PDA^2– ligands to yield a three‐dimensional metal‐organic framework. Magnetic susceptibilities of 1 and 2 were measured. The experimental χ_mT value of both compounds decreases continuously with decreasing temperature over the whole temperature range. The best least‐squares fit of the experimental data of 1 to a theoretical equation in the temperature range of 70–300 K gives the zero‐field splitting parameter Δ = 2.21 cm^–1 and the magnetic interaction between the Nd^III ions 2zJ′ = –1.97 cm^–1, which indicates the presence of antiferromagnetic interaction between the Nd^III ions. The experimental χ_mT value of 2 at 2 K is much smaller than the expected value for two free Sm^III ions (⁶H_5/2, g = 2/7) in the ground state, indicating that an antiferromagnetic interaction possibly exists between Sm^III ions at low temperature. Fitting the magnetic data of 2 above 110 K based on an equation deduced from the Sm^III ion in a monomeric system with free‐ion approximation gave a spin‐orbit coupling parameter λ = 192(2) cm^–1     

Generation of Pseudocontact Shifts in Proteins with Lanthanides Using Small “Clickable” Nitrilotriacetic Acid and Iminodiacetic Acid Tags

Pseudocontact shifts (PCS) induced by paramagnetic lanthanide ions provide unique long‐range structural information in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, but the site‐specific attachment of lanthanide tags to proteins remains a challenge. Here we incorporated p‐azido‐phenylalanine (AzF) site‐specifically into the proteins ubiquitin and GB1, and ligated the AzF residue with alkyne derivatives of small nitrilotriacetic acid and iminodiacetic acid tags using the Cu^I‐catalysed “click” reaction. These tags form lanthanide complexes with no or only a small net charge and produced sizeable PCSs with paramagnetic lanthanide ions in all mutants tested. The PCSs were readily fitted by single magnetic susceptibility anisotropy tensors. Protein precipitation during the click reaction was greatly alleviated by the presence of 150 mM NaCl.     

Tautomeric Switching and Metal‐Cation Sensing of Ligand‐Equipped 4‐Hydroxy‐/4‐oxo‐1,4‐dihydroquinolines

Novel 4‐hydroxyquinoline (4HQ) based tautomeric switches are reported. 4HQs equipped with coordinative side arms (8‐arylimino and 3‐piperidin‐1‐ylmethyl groups) were synthesized to access O‐ or N‐selective chelation of Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ ions by 4HQ. In the case of the monodentate arylimino group, O chelation of metal ions induces concomitant switching of phenol tautomer to the keto form in nonpolar or aprotic media. This change is accompanied by selective and highly sensitive fluorometric sensing of Zn²⁺ ions. In the case of the bidentate 8‐(quinolin‐8‐ylimino)methyl side arm, NMR studies in CD₃OD indicated that both Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions afford N chelation for 4HQ, coexisting with tautomeric switching from quinolin‐4(1H)‐one to quinolin‐4‐olate. In corroboration, UV/Vis‐monitored metal‐ion titrations in toluene and methanol implied similar structural changes. Additionally, fluorescence measurements indicated that the metal‐triggered tautomeric switching is associated with compound signaling properties. The results are supported by DFT calculations at the B3LYP 6‐31G* level. Several X‐ray structures of metal‐free and metal‐chelating 4HQ are presented to support the solution studies.     

Synthesis and Heterocyclization of 1‐Aryl‐2‐methyl‐4‐oxo‐1,4,5,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐3‐carboxylates

A series of novel isoxazole, dihydropyrazolone, and tetrahydropyridine derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of corresponding ethyl 1‐substituted aryl‐2‐methyl‐4‐oxo‐1,4,5,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐3‐carboxylates with different hydrazines and hydroxylamine. Reaction of tetrahydropyridone with N ,N‐dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal provided 1‐(5‐chloro‐2‐methylphenyl)‐2‐[2‐(dimethylamino)ethenyl]‐4‐oxo‐1,4,5,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐3‐carboxylate, which was cyclized into a bicyclic compound on treatment with ammonium acetate. The structures of all synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy data. The structure of 5‐(5‐chloro‐2‐methylphenyl)‐4‐methyl‐2‐phenyl‐2,5,6,7‐tetrahydro‐3H‐pyrazolo[4,3‐c]pyridin‐3‐one was unambiguously assigned by means of X‐ray analysis data.     

The effect of temperature on the stability of compounds used as UV‐MALDI‐MS matrix: 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2,4,6‐trihydroxyacetophenone, α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamic acid, 3,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐hydroxycinnamic acid,nor‐harmane and harmane

The thermal stability of several commonly used crystalline matrix‐assisted ultraviolet laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (UV‐MALDI‐MS) matrices, 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (gentisic acid; GA), 2,4,6‐trihydroxyacetophenone (THA), α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamic acid (CHC), 3,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐hydroxycinnamic acid (sinapinic acid; SA), 9H‐pirido[3,4‐b]indole (nor‐harmane; nor‐Ho), 1‐methyl‐9H‐pirido[3,4‐b]indole (harmane; Ho), perchlorate of nor‐harmanonium ([nor‐Ho + H]⁺) and perchlorate of harmanonium ([Ho + H]⁺) was studied by heating them at their melting point and characterizing the remaining material by using different MS techniques [electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI‐MS), ultraviolet laserdesorption/ionization‐time‐of‐flight‐mass spectrometry (UV‐LDI‐TOF‐MS) and electrospray ionization‐time‐of‐flight‐mass spectrometry (ESI‐TOF‐MS)] as well as by thin layer chromatography analysis (TLC), electronic spectroscopy (UV‐absorption, fluorescence emission and excitation spectroscopy) and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H‐NMR). In general, all compounds, except for CHC and SA, remained unchanged after fusion. CHC showed loss of CO₂, yielding the trans‐/cis‐4‐hydroxyphenylacrilonitrile mixture. This mixture was unambiguously characterized by MS and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy, and its sublimation capability was demonstrated. These results explain the well‐known cluster formation, fading (vanishing) and further recovering of CHC when used as a matrix in UV‐MALDI‐MS. Commercial SA (SA 98%; trans‐SA/cis‐SA 5 : 1) showed mainly cis‐ to‐trans thermal isomerization and, with very poor yield, loss of CO₂, yielding (3′,5′‐dimethoxy‐4′‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1‐ethene as the decarboxilated product. These thermal conversions would not drastically affect its behavior as a UV‐MALDI matrix as happens in the case of CHC. Complementary studies of the photochemical stability of these matrices in solid state were also conducted. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrothermal Syntheses,Crystal Structures,and Luminescent Properties of Three Organic‐Lanthanide Complexes with 3‐Hydroxycinnamic Acid

Three new homodinuclear lanthanide(III) complexes [Ln₂(L)₆(2,2′‐bipy)₂] [Ln = Tb^III ( 1 ), Sm^III ( 2 ), Eu^III ( 3 ); HL = 3‐hydroxycinnamic acid (3‐HCA); 2,2′‐bipy = 2,2′‐bipyridine] were synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, and X‐ray diffraction techniques. Complexes 1 – 3 crystallize in triclinic system, space group P$\bar{1}$ . In all complexes the lanthanide ions are nine‐coordinate by two nitrogen atoms from the 2,2′‐bipy ligand and seven oxygen atoms from one chelating L ligands and four bridging L ligands, forming distorted tricapped trigonal prismatic arrangements. The lanthanide(III) ions are intramolecularly bridged by eight carboxylate oxygen atoms forming dimeric complexes with Ln ··· Ln distances of 3.92747(15), 3.9664(6), and 3.9415(4) Å for complexes 1 – 3 , respectively. The luminescent properties in the solid state of HL ligand and Eu^III complex are also discussed.     

Gadolinium(III) Complexes of dota‐Derived N‐Sulfonylacetamides (H4(dota‐NHSO2R)=10‐{2‐[(R)sulfonylamino]‐2‐oxoethyl}‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic Acid): A New Class of Relaxation Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Applications

Four new ligands for lanthanide ions based on the H₃do3a (=1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acid) structure and bearing one N‐sulfonylacetamide arm were synthesized, i.e., H₄dota‐NHSO₂R=10‐{2‐[(R)sulfonylamino]‐2‐oxoethyl}‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7‐triacetic acids 1a – e . A ¹⁵N‐NMR study of the ¹⁵N‐labelled Eu³⁺ complex of one such ligands, 1d , showed that the coordination of the N‐sulfonylacetamide arm involves the carbonyl O‐atom rather than the N‐atom. The relaxometric properties of the corresponding Gd³⁺ complexes were investigated as a function of pH and temperature. These complexes have relaxivities in the range 4.5–5.3 mM ^?1 s^?1, at 20 MHz and 25°, and are characterized by a single H₂O molecule in their inner coordination sphere. The mean residence lifetime of this molecule is relatively long (500–700 ns) compared to other anionic complexes. The slow rate of H₂O exchange can be justified by the extensive delocalization of the negative charge on the N‐sulfonylacetamide arm. The long residence time of the coordinated H₂O allowed the observation of the effect of the prototropic exchange on the relaxivity. The study of the interaction between the complex [Gd( 1e )]‐ and HSA revealed a weak affinity constant highlighting the importance of a localized negative charge on the complex to promote a strong interaction with the protein.     

1,3‐Bis(trimethylsilyl)‐1,3,2‐diazaphospha‐[3]ferrocenophanes

The 2‐tert‐butyl, 2‐phenoxy, and 2‐diethylamino derivatives of 1,3‐bis(trimethylsilyl)‐1,3,2‐diazaphospha‐[3]ferrocenophane were prepared, and the molecular structure of the latter was determined by X‐ray diffraction. The phosphines could be oxidized by their slow reactions with sulfur or selenium, and the molecular structures of three sulfides and one selenide were determined. In contrast, the synthesis of oxides was less straightforward. All new compounds were characterized in solution by multinuclear magnetic resonance methods (1D and 2D ¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ²⁹Si, ³¹P, and ⁷⁷Se NMR spectroscopy).     

A Chiral Lanthanide Tag for Stable and Rigid Attachment to Single Cysteine Residues in Proteins for NMR,EPR and Time-Resolved Luminescence Studies

A lanthanide-binding tag site-specifically attached to a protein presents a tool to probe the protein by multiple spectroscopic techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. Here a new stable chiral Ln^III tag, referred to as C12 , is presented for spontaneous and quantitative reaction with a cysteine residue to generate a stable thioether bond. The synthetic protocol of the tag is relatively straightforward, and the tag is stable for storage and shipping. It displays greatly enhanced reactivity towards selenocysteine, opening a route towards selective tagging of selenocysteine in proteins containing cysteine residues. Loaded with Tb^III or Tm^III ions, the C12 tag readily generates pseudocontact shifts (PCS) in protein NMR spectra. It produces a relatively rigid tether between lanthanide and protein, which is beneficial for interpretation of the PCSs by single magnetic susceptibility anisotropy tensors, and it is suitable for measuring distance distributions in double electron–electron resonance experiments. Upon reaction with cysteine or other thiol compounds, the Tb^III complex exhibits a 100-fold enhancement in luminescence quantum yield, affording a highly sensitive turn-on luminescence probe for time-resolved FRET assays and enzyme reaction monitoring.     

A MALDI‐TOF MS study of lanthanide(III)‐cored poly(phenylenevinylene) dendrimers

An extensive study by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) of some first‐generation and second‐generation lanthanide(III)‐cored poly(phenylenevinylene) dendrimers is described. The complexes were obtained by self‐assembly of suitably functionalized carboxylate dendrons around the lanthanide ion (La³⁺, Er³⁺). Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy gave reasonable evidence for the proposed structures. However, MS was used to ascertain unequivocally the complex formation. The most reliable results were found in the negative reflector mode, using 2‐[(2E)‐3‐(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐2‐methylprop‐2‐enylidene]malononitrile (DCTB) as matrix. Well‐defined and highly resolved base peaks corresponding to negative ions of [Gn₄La]^? and [Gn₄Er]^? were found in all cases, with an excellent match between the theoretical and observed isotope distributions. However, the 3 : 1 stoichiometry used in the synthesis guarantees an empirical formula Gn₃Ln for the complexes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.