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Fluorescence Quenching of a Europium Coordination Compound for the Detection of Trace Amounts of Water: Uncovering the Response Mechanism by Structural Confirmation
Author(s) -
Song Li,
Wu YeWen,
Chai WenXiang,
Tao YinSong,
Jiang Chang,
Wang QiuHua
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of inorganic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1099-0682
pISSN - 1434-1948
DOI - 10.1002/ejic.201500062
Subject(s) - chemistry , europium , quenching (fluorescence) , fluorescence , luminescence , thermogravimetric analysis , ligand (biochemistry) , coordination complex , trace amounts , absorption (acoustics) , absorption spectroscopy , photochemistry , chelation , ion , inorganic chemistry , crystallography , analytical chemistry (journal) , organic chemistry , metal , medicine , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics , biochemistry , receptor , optoelectronics , acoustics
The coordination compound Eu(DAF) 2 (NO 3 ) 3 ( 1 , DAF = 4,5‐diazafluorene), which shows strong red fluorescence, has been synthesized and characterized. The luminescence‐quenching effect of 1 has been applied to the detection of water in CH 3 CN. For the first time, the response mechanism has been uncovered through the confirmation of the structure of the resultant nonluminous compound [Eu(NO 3 ) 2 (H 2 O) 5 ](NO 3 )(DAF) 2 · H 2 O ( 2 ). The replacement of the coordinated DAF ligands by the added water led to quenching of the emission of the Eu III ion and the simultaneous enhancement of the ligand emission. X‐ray powder diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses also confirmed this mechanism. Theoretical calculations by the semi‐empirical method revealed the origin of the absorption spectra of 1 . This fluorometric detection of trace amounts of water in CH 3 CN by 1 is a direct, rapid, and sensitive method.