Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of heteroleptic Eu3+, Tb3+ and Tm3+ complexes

Abstract Five Eu(III), four Tb(III) and two Tm(III) multichromophoric complexes ( 1-Eu , 1-Tb , 2-Eu , 3-Eu , 3-Tb , 3-Tm , 4-Tb , 4-Tm , 5-Eu , 6-Eu and 6-Tb ; where 1  =  tris[dibenzoylmethanido] (4′-chloro-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine), 2  = tris[dibenzoylmethanido] (4′-(9 H -carbazol-9yl)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine), 3  = tris(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetonato), 4  = tris[1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetonato] (tripyridin-2-ylamine), 5  = tris[dibenzoylmethanido][N-(4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)butyl)-N-(dipyridin-2-yl)amine] and 6  = tris[dibenzoylmethanido][N-(6-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)hexyl)-N-(dipyridin-2-yl)amine]) emitting in the blue (Tm), green (Tb) and red (Eu) spectral regions, have been synthesized and characterized. The complexes involve five different coordinating (2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (terpy); dibenzoylmethane (dbm); 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetonato (hfa), tripyridin-2-ylamine (tri-amine) and N-(dipyridin-2-yl)amine (di-amine)) and one non-coordinating (carbazole) units. The synthesis and photophysical properties of these complexes are reported addressing the influence of the various ligands on the lanthanide metal-centered luminescence in CH 2 Cl 2 solution and solid state matrices.