Antenna-functionalized dendritic β-diketonates and europium complexes: synthetic approaches to generation growth

Six dendritic β-diketonates and their corresponding europium complexes were synthesized. These dendritic β-diketonate ligands consist of dibenzoylmethane cores, Fréchet-type poly(aryl ether) dendrons, and the carbazole-grafted peripheral functional groups. The designs of dendrimers are on the basis of high light-harvesting capability and dendron functionalization in virtue of the high extinction coefficient and carrier-injection adjustment of carbazole units. Different approaches to generation growth were utilized: the first generation europium complexes through etheral connectivity were developed via convergent synthetic approach; the second and third generation dendrons through esteral connectivity were developed by a hyperbranch core approach containing the advantages of convergent and divergent approaches. Their chemical structures were well characterized. Preliminary results show that the dendron-functionalized carbazole units not only tune the carrier-transporting capability, but also exhibit strong light-harvesting potential, resulting in a strong intense emission from the central Eu(III) ion via sensitization.