Lanthanide metals emit light with characteristic sharp emission bands and long lifetimes that have allowed them to be used in applications such as bioprobes and microLEDs. For the lanthanide metals to emit light efficiently, they must be coordinated with ligands that transfer energy to the metal. A conjugated system, such as an aryl group is needed for the initial absorption of UV light. Ligands with carbonyl groups have been extensively studied as sensitizers for lanthanide luminescence, but those with phosphine oxide groups have been less studied. To this end, we have synthesized four ligands that contain both a phosphine oxide and a carbonyl group. We investigated these groups by systematically replacing the aryl groups with alkyl chains that do not absorb UV light. From quantum yield data, the aryl carbonyl group was determined to be a better sensitizer for lanthanide luminescence than the aryl phosphine oxide group.

Aryl carbonyl and aryl phosphine oxide groups as antennas for lanthanide luminescence

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