Novel photoluminescent lanthanidomesogens forming bilayer smectic phase derived from blue light emitting liquid crystalline, one ring O-donor Schiff-base ligands

A series of new mononuclear lanthanide(III)-salicylaldimine complexes of the type [Ln(LH)₃(NO₃)₃] (Ln = La, Pr, Sm and Gd; LH = N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4n-alkoxysalicylaldimine, n = 14, 18) have been synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, UV-Vis, FAB-mass and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The ligand (LH) coordinate to lanthanide ions in zwitterionic form via the phenolic-oxygen with the proton shifted to the imine-nitrogen. The nitrato groups occurring in chelated bidentate fashion complete a nine-coordinate geometry. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) show that the ligands are monotropic and their complexes exhibit enantiotropic highly viscous smectic A (SmA) mesophase in the temperature range 60-185 °C. A bilayer self organized assembly of the molecules in the mesophase are proposed on the basis of the small angle XRD study. The ligands are blue light emitters with a broad emission maxima at ∼447 nm while the lanthanide complexes show intense emission in the visible range (∼465-679 nm) at 350 nm excitation. The samarium(III) complex, [Sm(LH)₃(NO₃)₃] is distinct from the rest in emitting bright orange light (∼660 nm, Φ = 48%). The S_o-S₁ excitation band being stronger than the direct f-f excitation in the samarium complex clearly suggests that the Schiff-base ligands efficiently sensitize the luminescence of Sm³⁺. DFT calculations have been performed using DMol3 program at BLYP/DNP level to obtain the stable electronic structure of the ligand and complex.     

Low‐Coordinate Single‐Ion Magnets by Intercalation of Lanthanides into a Phenol Matrix

It is very challenging to synthesize stable trivalent rare‐earth complexes in which the coordination number is lower than 3 for the high oxidation state, there is a large ion radius and nearly non‐bonding character of trivalent lanthanide ions. The bulky phenol ligand ArOH (Ar=2,6‐Dipp₂C₆H₃, Dipp=2,6‐diisopropylphenyl) was utilized to construct low‐coordinate lanthanide compound [(ArO)Ln(OAr′)] (Ar′=6‐Dipp‐2‐(2′‐ⁱPr‐6′‐CHMe(CH₂^?)C₆H₃)C₆H₃O^?; Ln=Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm). These complexes and the free ligand ArOH were isostructural. Magnetic measurements and theoretical studies demonstrated that both the oblate‐type dysprosium and prolate‐type erbium analogues exhibited single‐ion magnet (SIM) behavior. The bulky phenol ligands provided strong uniaxial ligand field, making the dysprosium SIM possessing blocking barrier up to 961 K.     

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.     

Ligand Recognition Processes in the Formation of Homochiral C3‐Symmetric LnL3 Complexes of a Chiral Alkoxide

The reaction of a chiral racemic bidentate ligand HL¹ (tBu₂P(O)CH₂CH(tBu)OH) with mid to late trivalent lanthanide cations affords predominantly homochiral lanthanide complexes (RRR)‐[Ln(L¹)₃] and (SSS)‐[Ln(L¹)₃]. A series of reactions are reported that demonstrate that the syntheses are under thermodynamic control, and driven by a ligand ‘self‐recognition’ process, in which the large asymmetric bidentate L¹ ligands pack most favourably in a C₃ geometry around the lanthanide cation. The synthesis of bis(L¹) adducts [Ln(L¹)₂X] (X=N(SiMe₃)₂, OC₆H₃tBu‐2,6) is also reported. Analysis of the diastereomer mixtures shows that homochiral (L¹)₂ complexes are favoured but to a lesser extent. The complexes Ln(L¹)₃ and [Ln(L¹)₂(OC₆H₃tBu‐2,6)] have been studied as initiators for the polymerization of ε‐caprolactone and its copolymer with lactide, glycolide and its copolymer with lactide, and ε‐caprolactam.     

Highly Efficient Visible‐to‐NIR Luminescence of Lanthanide(III) Complexes with Zwitterionic Ligands Bearing Charge‐Transfer Character: Beyond Triplet Sensitization

Two zwitterionic‐type ligands featuring π–π* and intraligand charge‐transfer (ILCT) excited states, namely 1,1′‐(2,3,5,6‐tetramethyl‐1,4‐phenylene)bis(methylene)dipyridinium‐4‐olate (TMPBPO) and 1‐dodecylpyridin‐4(1 H)‐one (DOPO), have been prepared and applied to the assembly of lanthanide coordination complexes in an effort to understand the ligand‐direction effect on the structure of the Ln complexes and the ligand sensitization effect on the luminescence of the Ln complexes. Due to the wide‐band triplet states plus additional ILCT excitation states extending into lower energy levels, broadly and strongly sensitized photoluminescence of f→f transitions from various Ln³⁺ ions were observed to cover the visible to near‐infrared (NIR) regions. Among which, the Pr, Sm, Dy, and Tm complexes simultaneously display both strong visible and NIR emissions. Based on the isostructural feature of the Ln complexes, color tuning and single‐component white light was achieved by preparation of solid solutions of the ternary systems Gd‐Eu‐Tb (for TMPBPO) and La‐Eu‐Tb and La‐Dy‐Sm (for DOPO). Moreover, the visible and NIR luminescence lifetimes of the Ln complexes with the TMPBPO ligand were investigated from 77 to 298 K, revealing a strong temperature dependence of the Tm³⁺ (³H₄) and Yb³⁺ (²F_5/2) decay dynamics, which has not been explored before for their coordination complexes.     

The Series of Rare Earth Complexes [Ln2Cl6(μ‐4,4′‐bipy)(py)6], Ln=Y,Pr, Nd,Sm‐Yb: A Molecular Model System for Luminescence Properties in MOFs Based on LnCl3 and 4,4′‐Bipyridine

A series of 12 dinuclear complexes [Ln₂Cl₆(μ‐4,4′‐bipy)(py)₆], Ln=Y, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, ( 1 – 12 , respectively) was synthesized by an anhydrous solvothermal reaction in pyridine. The complexes contain a 4,4′‐bipyridine bridge and exhibit a coordination sphere closely related to luminescent lanthanide MOFs based on LnCl₃ and 4,4‐bipyridine. The dinuclear complexes therefore function as a molecular model system to provide a better understanding of the luminescence mechanisms in the Ln‐N‐MOFs ${\hbox{}{{\hfill 2\atop \hfill \infty }}}$ [Ln₂Cl₆(4,4′‐bipy)₃] ? 2(4,4′‐bipy). Accordingly, the luminescence properties of the complexes with Ln=Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, ( 1 , 4 – 8 ) were determined, showing an antenna effect through a ligand–metal energy transfer. The highest efficiency of luminescence is observed for the terbium‐based compound 7 displaying a high quantum yield (QY of 86 %). Excitation with UV light reveals typical emission colors of lanthanide‐dependent intra 4f–4f‐transition emissions in the visible range (Tb^III: green, Eu^III: red, Sm^III: salmon red, Dy^III: yellow). For the Gd^III‐ and Y^III‐containing compounds 6 and 1 , blue emission based on triplet phosphorescence is observed. Furthermore, ligand‐to‐metal charge‐transfer (LMCT) states, based on the interaction of Cl^? with Eu^III, were observed for the Eu^III compound 5 including energy‐transfer processes to the Eu^III ion. Altogether, the model complexes give further insights into the luminescence of the related MOFs, for example, rationalization of Ln‐independent quantum yields in the related MOFs.     

Chiral Benzamidinate Ligands in Rare‐Earth‐Metal Coordination Chemistry

The treatment of the recently reported potassium salt (S)‐N,N′‐bis‐(1‐phenylethyl)benzamidinate ((S)‐KPEBA) and its racemic isomer (rac‐KPEBA) with anhydrous lanthanide trichlorides (Ln=Sm, Er, Yb, Lu) afforded mostly chiral complexes. The tris(amidinate) complex [{(S)‐PEBA}₃Sm], bis(amidinate) complexes [{Ln(PEBA)₂(μ‐Cl)}₂] (Ln=Sm, Er, Yb, Lu), and mono(amidinate) compounds [Ln(PEBA)(Cl)₂(thf)_n] (Ln=Sm, Yb, Lu) were isolated and structurally characterized. As a result of steric effects, the homoleptic 3:1 complexes of the smaller lanthanide atoms Yb and Lu were not accessible. Furthermore, chiral bis(amidinate)–amido complexes [{(S)‐PEBA}₂Ln{N(SiMe₃)₂}] (Ln=Y, Lu) were synthesized by an amine‐elimination reaction and salt metathesis. All of these chiral bis‐ and tris(amidinate) complexes had additional axial chirality and they all crystallized as diastereomerically pure compounds. By using rac‐PEBA as a ligand, an achiral meso arrangement of the ligands was observed. The catalytic activities and enantioselectivities of [{(S)‐PEBA}₂Ln{N(SiMe₃)₂}] (Ln=Y, Lu) were investigated in hydroamination/cyclization reactions. A clear dependence of the rate of reaction and enantioselectivity on the ionic radius was observed, which showed higher reaction rates but poorer enantioselectivities for the yttrium compound.     

Anionic lanthanide phenoxide complexes as novel single‐component initiators for the polymerization of ε‐caprolactone and trimethylene carbonate

The anionic lanthanide‐sodium‐2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐phenoxide complexes [Ln(OAr)₄][Na(DME)₃]·DME (Ln = Nd 1 (neodymium), Sm 2 (samarium), or Gd 3 (gadolium); DME = dimethoxyethane) were synthesized by the reaction of anhydrous LnCl₃ with 4 equiv of sodium‐2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐phenoxide NaOAr in high yields and structurally characterized. These complexes showed high catalytic activity in the ring‐opening polymerizations of ?‐caprolactone (?‐CL) and trimethylene carbonate (TMC). The catalytic activity profoundly depended on the lanthanide metals. The active order of Gd < Sm < Nd for the polymerization of ?‐CL and TMC was observed. The polymers obtained with these initiators all showed a unimodal molecular weight distribution, indicating that the [Ln(OAr)₄][Na(DME)₃]·DME anionic complexes could be used as single‐component initiators. The anionic complex was more efficient than the corresponding neutral complex, Ln(OAr)₃(THF)₂. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1210–1218, 2007     

Water Stability and Luminescence of Lanthanide Complexes of Tripodal Ligands Derived from 1,4,7‐Triazacyclononane: Pyridinecarboxamide versus Pyridinecarboxylate Donors

A series of europium(III) and terbium(III) complexes of three 1,4,7‐triazacyclononane‐based pyridine containing ligands were synthesized. The three ligands differ from each other in the substitution of the pyridine pendant arm, namely they have a carboxylic acid, an ethylamide, or an ethyl ester substituent, i.e., these ligands are 6,6′,6″‐[1,4,7‐triazacyclononane‐1,4,7‐triyltris(methylene)]tris[pyridine‐2‐carboxylic acid] (H₃tpatcn), ‐tris[pyridine‐2‐carboxamide] (tpatcnam), and ‐tris[pyridine‐2‐carboxylic acid] triethyl ester (tpatcnes) respectively. The quantum yields of both the europium(III) and terbium(III) emission, upon ligand excitation, were highly dependent upon ligand substitution, with a ca. 50‐fold decrease for the carboxamide derivative in comparison to the picolinic acid (=pyridine‐2‐carboxylic acid) based ligand. Detailed analysis of the radiative rate constants and the energy of the triplet states for the three ligand systems revealed a less efficient energy transfer for the carboxamide‐based systems. The stability of the three ligand systems in H₂O was investigated. Although hydrolysis of the ethyl ester occurred in H₂O for the [Ln(tpatcnes)](OTf)₃ complexes, the tripositive [Ln(tpatcnam)](OTf)₃ complexes and the neutral [Ln(tpatcn)] complexes showed high stability in H₂O which makes them suitable for application in biological media. The [Tb(tpatcn)] complex formed easily in H₂O and was thermodynamically stable at physiological pH (pTb 14.9), whereas the [Ln(tpatcnam)](OTf)₃ complexes showed a very high kinetic stability in H₂O, and once prepared in organic solvents, remained undissociated in H₂O.     

Lanthanide(II) Complexes Supported by N,O‐Donor Tripodal Ligands: Synthesis,Structure, and Ligand‐Dependent Redox Behavior

The preparation and characterization of a series of complexes of the Yb and Eu cations in the oxidation state II and III with the tetradentate N,O‐donor tripodal ligands (tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA), BPA^? (HBPA=bis(2‐pyridylmethyl)(2‐hydroxybenzyl)amine), BPPA^? (HBPPA=bis(2‐pyridylmethyl)(3.5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐2‐hydroxybenzyl)amine), and MPA^2? (H₂MPA=(2‐pyridylmethyl)bis(3.5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐2‐hydroxybenzyl)amine) is reported. The X‐ray crystal structures of the heteroleptic Ln²⁺ complexes [Ln(TPA)I₂] (Ln=Eu, Yb) and [Yb(BPA)I(CH₃CN)]₂, of the Ln²⁺ homoleptic [Ln(TPA)₂]I₂ (Ln=Sm, Eu, Yb) and [Eu(BPA)₂] complexes, and of the Ln³⁺ [Eu(BPPA)₂]OTf and [Yb(MPA)₂K(dme)₂] (dme=dimethoxyethane) complexes have been determined. Cyclic voltammetry studies carried out on the bis‐ligand complexes of Eu³⁺ and Yb³⁺ show that the metal center reduction occurs at significantly lower potentials for the BPA^? ligand as compared with the TPA ligand. This suggests that the more electron‐rich character of the BPA^? ligand results in a higher reducing character of the lanthanide complexes of BPA^? compared with those of TPA. The important differences in the stability and reactivity of the investigated complexes are probably due to the observed difference in redox potential. Preliminary reactivity studies show that whereas the bis‐TPA complexes of Eu²⁺ and Yb²⁺ do not show any reactivity with heteroallenes, the [Eu(BPA)₂] complex reduces CS₂ to afford the first example of a lanthanide trithiocarbonate complex.     

2,2′‐Bipyrimidine as Efficient Sensitizer of the Solid‐State Luminescence of Lanthanide and Uranyl Ions from Visible to Near‐Infrared

Treatment of Ln(NO₃)₃?nH₂O with 1 or 2 equiv 2,2′‐bipyrimidine (BPM) in dry THF readily afforded the monometallic complexes [Ln(NO₃)₃(bpm)₂] (Ln=Eu, Gd, Dy, Tm) or [Ln(NO₃)₃(bpm)₂]?THF (Ln=Eu, Tb, Er, Yb) after recrystallization from MeOH or THF, respectively. Reactions with nitrate salts of the larger lanthanide ions (Ln=Ce, Nd, Sm) yielded one of two distinct monometallic complexes, depending on the recrystallization solvent: [Ln(NO₃)₃(bpm)₂]?THF (Ln=Nd, Sm) from THF, or [Ln(NO₃)₃(bpm)(MeOH)₂]?MeOH (Ln=Ce, Nd, Sm) from MeOH. Treatment of UO₂(NO₃)₂?6H₂O with 1 equiv BPM in THF afforded the monoadduct [UO₂(NO₃)₂(bpm)] after recrystallization from MeOH. The complexes were characterized by their crystal structure. Solid‐state luminescence measurements on these monometallic complexes showed that BPM is an efficient sensitizer of the luminescence of both the lanthanide and the uranyl ions emitting visible light, as well as of the Yb^III ion emitting in the near‐IR. For Tb, Dy, Eu, and Yb complexes, energy transfer was quite efficient, resulting in quantum yields of 80.0, 5.1, 70.0, and 0.8 %, respectively. All these complexes in the solid state were stable in air.     

Trimetallic Nickel–Lanthanum and Nickel–Gadolinium Metallomesogens

Adducts were formed between a mesomorphic Ni(salen) complex [salen=2,2′-N,N′-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine] with six terminal alkoxy chains and a lanthanide nitrate (Ln=La, Gd). Different alkoxy chain lengths were used: OC¹²H²⁵, OC¹⁴H²⁹, OC¹⁶H³³ and OC¹⁸H³⁷. Trinuclear nickel–lanthanum and nickel–gadolinium complexes [Ln(NO³)³{Ni(salen)}²] were obtained. The compounds exhibit a wide-temperature-range hexagonal columnar mesophase (Col^H) with rather low melting points. The mesophase stability ranges of both the parent nickel complexes and the nickel–lanthanide complexes decrease with increasing chain length. A decrease in the mesophase stability range over the lanthanide series was also observed. The results are compared with those of similar copper–lanthanide complexes. A marked difference is the higher thermal stability of the nickel–lanthanide complexes in comparison with the copper–lanthanide complexes.     

N‐Heterocyclic Tridentate Aromatic Ligands Bound to [Ln(hexafluoroacetylacetonate)3] Units: Thermodynamic,Structural, and Luminescent Properties

Herein, we discuss how, why, and when cascade complexation reactions produce stable, mononuclear, luminescent ternary complexes, by considering the binding of hexafluoroacetylacetonate anions (hfac^?) and neutral, semi‐rigid, tridentate 2,6‐bis(benzimidazol‐2‐yl)pyridine ligands ( Lk ) to trivalent lanthanide atoms (Ln^III). The solid‐state structures of [Ln( Lk )(hfac)₃] (Ln=La, Eu, Lu) showed that [Ln(hfac)₃] behaved as a neutral six‐coordinate lanthanide carrier with remarkable properties: 1) the strong cohesion between the trivalent cation and the didentate hfac anions prevented salt dissociation; 2) the electron‐withdrawing trifluoromethyl substituents limited charge‐neutralization and favored cascade complexation with Lk ; 3) nine‐coordination was preserved for [Ln( Lk )(hfac)₃] for the complete lanthanide series, whilst a counterintuitive trend showed that the complexes formed with the smaller lanthanide elements were destabilized. Thermodynamic and NMR spectroscopic studies in solution confirmed that these characteristics were retained for solvated molecules, but the operation of concerted anion/ligand transfers with the larger cations induced subtle structural variations. Combined with the strong red photoluminescence of [Eu( Lk )(hfac)₃], the ternary system Ln^III/hfac^?/ Lk is a promising candidate for the planned metal‐loading of preformed multi‐tridentate polymers.     

DNA-binding properties and antioxidant activity of lanthanide complexes with the Schiff base derived from 3-carbaldehyde chromone and isonicotinyl hydrazine

Structural analyses indicate that the ligand and lanthanide ions form mononuclear 10-coordinate ([Ln L₂ · (NO₃)₂] · NO₃ [Ln(III) = La, Sm, Nd, and Yb; L is chromone-3-carbaldehyde-(isonicotinoyl) hydrazone) complexes with 1 : 2 metal-to-ligand stoichiometry. DNA-binding studies show that the ligand and its lanthanide complexes can bind to calf thymus DNA via an intercalation mode with binding constants of 10⁵ (mol L^?1)^?1, and the lanthanide complexes bind stronger than the free ligand alone. Antioxidant activities of the ligand and lanthanide complexes were determined by superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging methods in vitro. The ligand and complexes possess strong scavenging effects, and the lanthanide complexes show stronger antioxidant activities than the ligand and some standard antioxidants, such as vitamin C.     

Hydrothermal Syntheses and Structural Studies of Lanthanide Coordination Polymers Involving In‐Situ Decarboxylation and their Luminescence Properties

Lanthanide coordination polymers with the formula [Ln(pydc)₂]·H₂O (Ln = La, 1 ; Nd, 2 ; pydc = 3,4‐pyridinedicarboxylate) and [Ln(pydc)(ina)(H₂O)₂] (Ln = Sm, 3 ; Eu, 4 ; Tb, 5 ; Dy, 6 ; pydc = 3,4‐pyridinedicarboxylate, ina = isonicotinate) were synthesized by treating Ln^III nitrates with 3,4‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid under hydrothermal conditions. Single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction studies indicate that these lanthanide coordination polymers adopt two different structures. The lighter lanthanide compounds 1 and 2 consist of extended two‐dimensional layer structures with the thickness of ca. 1.7 nm. While the heavier lanthanide compounds 3 ‐ 6 have pydc‐bridged double chain structures with one chelating carboxylate group of ina ligand and two water molecules on each metal center. Interestingly, decarboxylation occurred and pydc was partially transformed into ina in the hydrothermal reactions of 3 ‐ 6 . The fluorescence activities of compounds 4 and 5 are reported.     

Amending the Anisotropy Barrier and Luminescence Behavior of Heterometallic Trinuclear Linear [MIILnIIIMII] (LnIII=Gd,Tb, Dy; MII=Mg/Zn) Complexes by Change from Divalent Paramagnetic to Diamagnetic Metal Ions

The sequential reaction of a multisite coordinating compartmental ligand [2‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐(hydroxymethyl)‐5‐methylbenzylideneamino)‐2‐methylpropane‐1,3‐diol] (LH₄) with appropriate lanthanide salts followed by the addition of [Mg(NO₃)₂] ? 6 H₂O or [Zn(NO₃)₂] ? 6 H₂O in a 4:1:2 stoichiometric ratio in the presence of triethylamine affords a series of isostructural heterometallic trinuclear complexes containing [Mg₂Ln]³⁺ (Ln=Dy, Gd, and Tb) and [Zn₂Ln]³⁺ (Ln=Dy, Gd, and Tb) cores. The formation of these complexes is demonstrated by X‐ray crystallography as well as ESI‐MS spectra. All complexes are isostructural possessing a linear trimetallic core with a central lanthanide ion. The comprehensive studies discussed involve the synthesis, structure, magnetism, and photophysical properties on this family of trinuclear [Mg₂Ln]³⁺ and [Zn₂Ln]³⁺ heterometallic complexes. [Mg₂Dy]³⁺ and [Zn₂Dy]³⁺ show slow relaxation of the magnetization below 12 K under zero applied direct current (dc) field, but without reaching a neat maximum, which is due to the overlapping with a faster quantum tunneling relaxation mediated through dipole–dipole and hyperfine interactions. Under a small applied dc field of 1000 Oe, the quantum tunneling is almost suppressed and temperature and frequency dependent peaks are observed, thus confirming the single‐molecule magnet behavior of complexes [Mg₂Dy]³⁺ and [Zn₂Dy]³⁺.     

CH Bond Activation by f‐Block Complexes

Most homogeneous catalysis relies on the design of metal complexes to trap and convert substrates or small molecules to value‐added products. Organometallic lanthanide compounds first gave a tantalizing glimpse of their potential for catalytic C? H bond transformations with the selective cleavage of one C? H bond in methane by bis(permethylcyclopentadienyl)lanthanide methyl [(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)₂Ln(CH₃)] complexes some 25 years ago. Since then, numerous metal complexes from across the periodic table have been shown to selectively activate hydrocarbon C? H bonds, but the challenges of closing catalytic cycles still remain; many f‐block complexes show great potential in this important area of chemistry.     

Synthesis and properties of 5,10,15,20‐tetra[(4‐alkoxy‐3‐ethyloxy)phenyl]porphyrin hydroxylanthanide liquid crystal complexes

Twelve 5, 10, 15, 20‐tetra[(4‐alkoxy‐3‐ethyloxy)phenyl]porphyrin hydroxylanthanide complexes Ln[(C _n OEOP)₄P](OH) (n?=?12, 14, 16;Ln?=?Tb, Dy, Er, Yb) and three ligands have been synthesized and their composition, structure and spectral properties studied. Their liquid crystalline behaviour is also presented. Differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy reveal that all exhibit a discotic liquid crystalline phase. X‐ray diffraction shows that the mesophase is a hexagonal columnar, Col_h. The lanthanide ion, which is coordinated to the four nitrogen atoms of the porphyrin and to the oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group, is out of the porphyrin molecular plane. All the complexes are stable below 200°C and undergo complete decomposition at 800°C. The fluorescence quantum yields of the lanthanide complexes are much lower than those of the corresponding ligands. The electrochemical studies show that the redox potentials do not change on varying the chain length.     

A new family of lanthanide coordination polymers based on 3,3′‐[(5‐carboxylato‐1,3‐phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoate: synthesis,crystal structures and magnetic and luminescence properties

Six two‐dimensional (2D) coordination polymers (CPs), namely, poly[{μ₅‐3,3‐[(5‐carboxylato‐1,3‐phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoato‐κ⁶O¹:O^1′:O³,O^3′:O⁵:O^5′}bis(N,N‐dimethylformamide‐κO)lanthanide(III)], [Ln(C₂₁H₁₁O₈)(C₃H₇NO)₂]_n, with lanthanide/Ln = cerium/Ce for CP1 , praseodymium/Pr for CP2 , neodymium/Nd for CP3 , samarium/Sm for CP4 , europium/Eu for CP5 and gadolinium/Gd for CP6 , have been prepared by solvothermal methods using the ligand 3,3′‐[(5‐carboxy‐1,3‐phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoic acid (H₃cpboda) in the presence of Ln(NO₃)₃. The complexes were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray and powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All the structures of this family of lanthanide CPs are isomorphous with the triclinic space group P and reveal that they have the same 2D network based on binuclear Ln^III units, which are further extended via interlayer C—H…π interactions into a three‐dimensional supramolecular structure. The carboxylate groups of the cpboda^3? ligands link adjacent Ln^III ions and form binuclear [Ln₂(RCOO)₄] secondary building units (SBUs), in which each binuclear Ln^III SBU contains four carboxylate groups from different cpboda^3? ligands. Moreover, with the increase of the rare‐earth Ln atomic radius, the dihedral angles between the aromatic rings gradually increase. Magnetically, CP6 shows weak antiferromagnetic coupling between the Gd^III ions. The solid‐state luminescence properties of CP2 , CP5 and CP6 were examined at ambient temperature and CP5 exhibits characteristic red emission bands derived from the Eu³⁺ ion (CIE 0.53, 0.31), with luminescence quantum yields of 22%. Therefore, CP5 should be regarded as a potential optical material.     

Remarkable Tuning of the Coordination and Photophysical Properties of Lanthanide Ions in a Series of Tetrazole‐Based Complexes

A series of seven new tetrazole‐based ligands (L1, L3–L8) containing terpyridine or bipyridine chromophores suited to the formation of luminescent complexes of lanthanides have been synthesized. All ligands were prepared from the respective carbonitriles by thermal cycloaddition of sodium azide. The crystal structures of the homoleptic terpyridine–tetrazolate complexes [Ln(Li)₂]NHEt₃ (Ln=Nd, Eu, Tb for i=1, 2; Ln=Eu for i=3, 4) and of the monoaquo bypyridine–tetrazolate complex [Eu(H₂O)(L7)₂]NHEt₃ were determined. The tetradentate bipyridine–tetrazolate ligand forms nonhelical complexes that can contain a water molecule coordinated to the metal. Conversely, the pentadentate terpyridine–tetrazolate ligands wrap around the metal, thereby preventing solvent coordination and forming chiral double‐helical complexes similarly to the analogue terpyridine–carboxylate. Proton NMR spectroscopy studies show that the solid‐state structures of these complexes are retained in solution and indicate the kinetic stability of the hydrophobic complexes of terpyridine–tetrazolates. UV spectroscopy results suggest that terpyridine–tetrazolate complexes have a similar stability to their carboxylate analogues, which is sufficient for their isolation in aerobic conditions. The replacement of the carboxylate group with tetrazolate extends the absorption window of the corresponding terpyridine‐ (≈20 nm) and bipyridine‐based (25 nm) complexes towards the visible region (up to 440 nm). Moreover, the substitution of the terpyridine–tetrazolate system with different groups in the ligand series L3–L6 has a very important effect on both absorption spectra and luminescence efficiency of their lanthanide complexes. The tetrazole‐based ligands L1 and L3–L8 sensitize efficiently the luminescent emission of lanthanide ions in the visible and near‐IR regions with quantum yields ranging from 5 to 53 % for Eu^III complexes, 6 to 35 % for Tb^III complexes, and 0.1 to 0.3 % for Nd^III complexes, which is among the highest reported for a neodymium complex. The luminescence efficiency could be related to the energy of the ligand triplet states, which are strongly correlated to the ligand structures.