Fabrication of europium complexes with 4′-(4-methylphenyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine and 4,4′-dinonyl-2,2′-dipyridyl at the air–water interface and their emission properties in Langmuir–Blodgett films

Ternary europium complexes were formed at the air–water interface mediated by monolayers of 4,4′-dinonyl-2,2′-dipyridyl (DNDPy) and 4′-(4-methylphenyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (MPTPy). A saturated Eu(TTA)3 (TTA: theonyltrifluoroacetone) aqueous solution was used as subphase, on the surface of which condensed DNDPy and MPTPy monolayers could be stabilized. The DNDPy-/MPTPy–Eu(TTA)3 layers were transferred onto either hydrophobic or hydrophilic substrate surfaces by Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) method. Fluorescence spectra showed several sharp peaks corresponding to Eu3+ emissions from 5D1 → 7F1 (535 nm) and 5D0 → 7F0,1,2,3 (580, 595, 612 and 650 nm). A relative stronger emission from 5D1 → 7F1 to that from 5D0 → 7F2 was recorded for the LB films of DNDPy–Eu(TTA)3 complex. Compared with that in solution, longer fluorescence lifetime was observed for the complexes in the LB films.