Er3+ and Eu3+ complexes with heptafluoroacetylacetone and tris(pentafluoro)phenylphosphine oxide: The role of the pentafluorophenyl group on the coordination geometry and on the electronic absorption spectra

In this work we report some examples of fluorinated lanthanide complexes, in which the geometry of the coordination sphere is controlled by C–F···π system strong interactions involving the fluorinated ligands. Moreover we have also shown that a perfluorinated ligand, such as tris(pentafluorophenyl)phosphine oxide may have a role in increasing the pumping of energy, in the Er3+ complex with totally fluorinated ligands, from the π system of the perfluorinated acetylacetone ligand, acting as antenna, to the Er3+ emitting ion.