Tetranuclear Heterometallic {Zn2Eu2} Complexes with 1-Naphthoate Anions: Synthesis, Structure and Photoluminescence Properties

Abstract

A series of new tetranuclear heterometallic ZnII-EuIII complexes have been synthesized, that is, (bpy)2Zn2Eu2(naph)10 (1), (bpy)2Zn2Eu2(naph)8(NO3)2 (2), and (phen)2Zn2Eu2(naph)8(NO3)2 (3), and other ones, where naph- is the 1-naphthoate anion, bpy=2,2′-bipyridyl, and phen=1,10-phenanthroline. The solid-phase complexes consist of large supramolecular ensembles due to stacking interactions between the aromatic ligands. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements were carried out to study PL spectra, lifetimes and quantum yields (QY) of the synthesized complexes at different temperatures. The external QY for the solid phases of complexes under UV excitation was found to exceed 20 %. It has been shown that partial replacement of naphthoate ligands in the coordination environment of Eu3+ by NO3- anions influences the PL properties. To investigate the behavior of these complexes in solvent, we dissolved complex 3 in MeCN, put it on a transparent glass as a substrate, and studied the PL properties at room temperature.