Synthesis and luminescence properties of lanthanide complexes with a new aryl amide bifunctional bridging ligand

A new aryl amide type bifunctional bridging ligand 4,4′-bis{[(2″-benzylaminoformyl)phenoxyl]methyl}-1,1′-biphenyl (L) and its complexes with lanthanide ions (Ln = Pr, Eu, Gd, Tb, Ho, Er) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra, conductivity measurements and thermal analysis. At the same time, the luminescence properties of the Eu and Tb complexes in acetone solutions were investigated. Under the excitation of UV light, these two complexes exhibited characteristic emission of europium and terbium ions. And the lowest triplet state energy level T1 of this ligand matches better to the lowest resonance energy level of Tb(III) than to Eu(III) ion.