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Fully Fluorinated Imidodiphosphinate Shells for Visible‐ and NIR‐Emitting Lanthanides: Hitherto Unexpected Effects of Sensitizer Fluorination on Lanthanide Emission Properties
Author(s) -
Glover Peter B.,
Bassett Andrew P.,
Nockemann Peter,
Kariuki Benson M.,
Van Deun Rik,
Pikramenou Zoe
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.200700087
Subject(s) - lanthanide , quenching (fluorescence) , chemistry , photochemistry , ligand (biochemistry) , luminescence , fluorescence , aryl , crystallography , materials science , alkyl , ion , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , biochemistry , physics , receptor , quantum mechanics
In this paper we demonstrate that the effect of aromatic CF substitution in ligands does not always abide by conventional wisdom for ligand design to enhance sensitisation for visible lanthanide emission, in contrast with NIR emission for which the same effect coupled with shell formation leads to unprecedented long luminescence lifetimes. We have chosen an imidodiphosphinate ligand, N ‐{ P , P ‐di(pentafluorophinoyl)}‐ P , P ‐dipentafluorophenylphosphinimidic acid (HF 20 tpip), to form ideal fluorinated shells about all visible‐ and NIR‐emitting lanthanides. The shell, formed by three ligands, comprises twelve fully fluorinated aryl sensitiser groups, yet no‐high energy XH vibrations that quench lanthanide emission. The synthesis, full characterisation including X‐ray and NMR analysis as well as the photophysical properties of the emissive complexes [Ln(F 20 tpip) 3 ], in which Ln = Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Er, Yb, Y, Gd, are reported. The photophysical results contrast previous studies, in which fluorination of alkyl chains tends to lead to more emissive lanthanide complexes for both visible and NIR emission. Analysis of the fluorescence properties of the HF 20 tpip and [Gd(F 20 tpip) 3 ] reveals that there is a low‐lying state at around 715 nm that is responsible for partially quenching of the signal of the visible emitting lanthanides and we attribute it to a π–σ* state. However, all visible emitting lanthanides have long lifetimes and unexpectedly the [Dy(F 20 tpip) 3 ] complex shows a lifetime of 0.3 ms, indicating that the elimination of high‐energy vibrations from the ligand framework is particularly favourable for Dy. The NIR emitting lanthanides show strong emission signals in powder and solution with unprecedented lifetimes. The luminescence lifetimes of [Nd(F 20 tpip) 3 ], [Er(F 20 tpip) 3 ] and [Yb(F 20 tpip) 3 ] in deuteurated acetonitrile are 44, 741 and 1111 μs. The highest value observed for the [Yb(F 20 tpip) 3 ] complex is more than half the value of the Yb ion radiative lifetime.