Synthesis and luminescence properties of lanthanide(III) chelates with polyacid derivatives of thienyl-substituted terpyridine analogues

Two new polyacid derivative ligands of thienyl-substituted terpyridine analogues, N,N,N¹,N¹-[4′-(2?-thienyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine-6,6″-diyl]bis(methylenenitrilo) tetrakis(acetic acid) (TTTA) and N,N,N¹,N¹-[2,6-bis(3′-aminomethyl-1′-pyrazolyl)-4-(2″-thienyl)pyridine] tetrakis(acetic acid) (BTTA), were synthesized, and the luminescence properties of their Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ chelates were investigated. The Eu³⁺chelates of the two ligands are strongly luminescent having luminescence quantum yields of 0.150 (TTTA-Eu³⁺) and 0.114 (BTTA-Eu³⁺), and lifetimes of 1.284 ms (TTTA-Eu³⁺) and 1.352 ms (BTTA-Eu³⁺), whereas their Tb³⁺ chelates are weakly luminescent. The TTTA-Eu³⁺ chelate was used for streptavidin (SA) labeling, and the labeled SA was used for time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay of insulin in human sera. The method gives the detection limits of 33 pg ml⁻¹.