Synthesis and infrared and fluorescence spectral properties of luminescent terbium and europium complexes with open-chain carboxylate crown ethers.

Two open-chain carboxylate crown ether ligands and their terbium(III) and europium(III) complexes were synthesized and characterized. The terbium and europium ions were found to coordinate to the carboxylate oxygens. The fluorescence properties of europium complexes in the solid state and terbium complexes in the solid state and in the organic solvent were studied in detail, respectively. Under the excitation of ultraviolet light, strong green fluorescence of solid terbium complexes and red fluorescence of solid europium complexes were observed. These observations show that the two ligands favor energy transfer to the emitting energy level of Tb(3+). Some factors that influencing the fluorescent intensity were also discussed.