Molecular fabrication and photoluminescence of novel terbium co-polymer using 4-vinyl pyridine as the efficient second ligand

Three terbium binary complexes with pyridine carboxylic acids (nicotinic, picolinic and methyl nicotinic acid) were synthesized in the first stage. Then the above complexes were introduced into 4-vinyl pyridine-ethyl methacrylate co-polymer matrices using the former as the second ligand. The composition of the hybrids was characterized by FT-IR and the photophysical process of the luminescence was investigated by UV spectra and fluorescence spectra. The experiment results substantiate that 4-vinyl pyridine could coordinate to terbium ions directly with nitrogen atoms of the pyridine ring. Accordingly, the intramolecular energy transfer process completed within polymer hybrids and strong green emissions of Tb3+ have been obtained.