Synthesis and luminescence study of a highly volatile Sm(III) complex

A highly volatile air and moisture stable eight-coordinate samarium complex, [Sm(hfaa)3(pz)2] (hfaa = anion of hexafluoroacetylacetone and pz = pyrazole), has been synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c and the coordination polyhedron around the samarium ion is best describable as a distorted square antiprism. The NMR spectrum reveals that both the pz units remain coordinated to the samarium in solution. The quantum yield of the complex is determined to be 0.012 in solution. The lifetime of the complex is found to be 0.039 ms (χ2 = 1.071). The experimental intensity parameter (ηSm) is calculated for the complex.