Structural and photophysical properties of lanthanide complexes with N-(diphenylphosphoryl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide

•The Eu and Tb complexes with HPMSP create the one-dimensional polymeric structures.•The Tb complex exhibits an intense sensitized lanthanide emission.•The sensitized Eu3+ emission is strongly temperature dependent.

Lanthanide complexes with N-(diphenylphosphoryl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide (HPMSP) as new sensitizers of visible luminescence were obtained. The series of stable lanthanide complexes Na[Ln(PMSP)4], where Ln = Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+ were characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR, absorption, emission, and excitation spectra at 295 and 77 K as well as luminescence decay times and intrinsic emission quantum yields. The Tb complex, exhibiting relatively efficient ligand-to-metal energy transfer and strong metal-centred emission, is a promising candidate for effective UV-to-visible energy converters. Temperature dependent quenching of sensitized 5D0 europium emission and presence of 5D1 emission are discussed.