Investigation of the formation of nanostructures of Ln(III) salts with phosphate and carbonate anions using Eu(III) chelates as luminescent markers

The monitoring of variations in the luminescence intensity (I _lum) of nanostructures of Eu(MBTA)₃phen (MBTA is p-methoxybenzoyl trifluoroacetonate) complexes formed in aqueous solutions upon the introduction of anions is proposed as a method of analyzing the composition of Eu(III), Gd(III) and Lu(III) phosphate complexes in solutions with PO ₄ ^3? ] < Ln]. It is found that low-lability binuclear complexes, which rearrange within an hour or longer, are formed in these solutions. It is shown that the lability of Ln(III) carbonate complexes exceeds the lability of Ln(III) complexes with PO ₄ ^3? . An analysis of the dependence of I _lum of the solution on the concentration of Eu(III) ions and on the time from the instant of the solution preparation shows that, in aqueous solutions where the concentration of anions is higher than the concentration of Ln(III) ions, nanostructures of Eu(III) phosphate and carbonate salts are formed in the range of Ln(III) concentrations 0.5–5 μM at concentrations of anions on the order of 10 μM and at concentrations of exceeding 100 μM. The rearrangement of these nanostructures to nanostructures of Eu(MBTA)₃phen complexes is studied.