Enhancement of luminescence of Nd3+ complexes with deuterated hexafluoroacetylacetonato ligands in organic solvent

Tris-(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)neodymium(III), [Nd(HFA-D)3], was prepared by chelation of Nd3+ ion with deuterated hexafluoroacetylacetone in CD3OD. Luminescence of the Nd3+ complex was observed for the first time in organic solvents and the quantum yield was estimated to be of the order of 10−2 in deuterated acetone solution. The absorption spectrum of [Nd(HFA-D)3] dissolved in acetone was comparable with that of Nd3+ ion in Y3Al5O15 matrix (Nd:YAG). Splitting of the 4F32 level was determined to be 82.3 cm−1 in this system. These spectral characteristics suggest that the physical nature of Nd3+ coordination environments should be uniform and well defined by coordination of HFA in solution.