Lanthanide metal ions as cornerstones in functional self-assembled supramolecular complexes

Abstract

The peculiar spectroscopic, magnetic, and chemical properties of lanthanide ions (4f block, LnIII) are particularly attractive for the design of functional supramolecular devices if these ions can be selectively introduced into organized self-assembled architectures. The systematic investigation of a complete library of tridentate receptors leading to nine-coordinate tricapped trigonal prismatic sites upon coordination to LnIII allows the elucidation of the factors governing the structural, thermodynamic, electronic, magnetic, and spectroscopic properties of the final complexes. The simultaneous use of LnIII as cement between the molecular components of the supramolecular edifices and as functional vectors of the devices has been realized in self-assembled polynuclear d-f and f-f complexes. Predetermined properties may result from a judicious molecular programming of the nanometric architecture leading to fascinating applications in luminescence, magnetism, template syntheses, and liquid crystals.