Photophysical properties of novel lanthanide complexes with long chain mono-eicosyl cis-butene dicarboxylate

Maleic anhydride was grafted by long chain alcohol 1-eicosanol to a novel sort of corresponding monoester, mono-eicosyl cis-butene dicarboxylate. Then the four novel ternary lanthanide (Eu3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Gd3+) complexes with the as-derived long chain monoester and a second ligand 1,10-phenanthroline were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra. The photophysical properties of these complexes were studied in detail with ultraviolet absorption spectra, low temperature phosphorescent spectra, fluorescent spectra and luminescent lifetimes, indicating that the intramolecular energy transfer mechanism runs smoothly within these ternary complexes in terms of sensitized functions of 1,10-phenanthroline and strong characteristic green, red or blue emissions of Tb3+, Eu3+ or Dy3+ have been achieved.