Crystal structure and luminescence property of ternary terbium p-aminobenzoic acid complexes with different second ligands

Ternary terbium complexes with p-aminobenzoic acid (HL), [TbL3(DMSO)(H2O)]2 (1), [TbL3(DMF)(H2O)]2 (2) and [TbL3(Bpy)(H2O)]2·2H2O (3) (DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide, DMF=N, N- dimethylformamide, Bpy=2, 2′- bipyridyl) have been synthesized, and their crystal structures determined. The luminescence properties of these complexes, including both the emission quantum yield and the fluorescence lifetime, have been investigated. The effect of a second ligand on the crystal structure and luminescence property of the ternary terbium p-aminobenzoic acid complexes, and the relationship between luminescence properties and crystal structure, including coordination mode of the L− ligand and the characteristics of a second ligand, are discussed.