Highly Efficient Visible-to-NIR Luminescence of Lanthanide(III) Complexes with Zwitterionic Ligands Bearing Charge-Transfer Character: Beyond Triplet Sensitization.

Two zwitterionic-type ligands featuring π-π* and intraligand charge-transfer (ILCT) excited states, namely 1,1'-(2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylene)bis(methylene)dipyridinium-4-olate (TMPBPO) and 1-dodecylpyridin-4(1 H)-one (DOPO), have been prepared and applied to the assembly of lanthanide coordination complexes in an effort to understand the ligand-direction effect on the structure of the Ln complexes and the ligand sensitization effect on the luminescence of the Ln complexes. Due to the wide-band triplet states plus additional ILCT excitation states extending into lower energy levels, broadly and strongly sensitized photoluminescence of f→f transitions from various Ln(3+) ions were observed to cover the visible to near-infrared (NIR) regions. Among which, the Pr, Sm, Dy, and Tm complexes simultaneously display both strong visible and NIR emissions.

Direct white-light and a dual-channel barcode module from Pr(III)-MOF crystals.

Direct white-light emission and further a dual-channel readable barcode module in both visible and NIR region was established by single-component homo-metallic Pr(iii)-MOF crystals for the first time.