Erbium complexes with tetra-15-crown-5-phthalocyanine: Synthesis and spectroscopic study

Erbium mono-, bis-, and tris(phthalocyaninates) with tetra-15-crown-5-phthalocyanine (H₂R₄Pc) were synthesized and studied by spectroscopic methods. The complexes were obtained by reacting H₂R₄Pc with erbium salts in high-boiling solvents. To compare the efficiency of two approaches to the synthesis of double-decker lanthanide phthalocyaninates, bis(phthalocyaninate) Er(R₄Pc)₂] was also obtained by a template procedure from dicyanobenzo-15-crown-5. A combination of physicochemical methods (UV and IR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, ¹H NMR) was used for identifying the compounds and proving their individuality and structure. The photoluminescence method demonstrated that solutions of erbium bis- and tris(phthalocyaninates) in CHCl₃ are nonfluorescent in the visible range of light whereas solutions of mono(phthalocyaninate) in CHCl₃ and DMSO exhibit fluorescence with maxima at 707 and 695 nm, respectively. The oxidation of erbium mono(phthalocyaninate) leads to fluorescence quenching.