Counterion Effect on the Luminescence of Lanthanide Complexes with Fluorinated Alkoxide Ligands

Abstract

Lanthanides have many commercial and industrial uses due to their luminescence characteristics. To be able to understand the effect that counterion size has on these characteristics can lead to optimization and better products. The ligand used in the synthesis of the complexes studied were alkoxide ligands. Alkoxide ligands have uses in industry when bonded to metals as a precursor to ceramics production, in this study the alkoxide ligand is used as an oxygen donor to the Ln(III) (Ln = Y, Ce, Pr, Eu) metal. The ligand used is also fluorinated and bidentate leading to a reduction in luminescence quenching. All complexes used were synthesized using THF as the solvent. The absorption and emission spectra were gathered in solution. It was found by changing the group 1 counterion there was a noticeable change in several of the luminescence characteristics.