A Series of Lanthanide-Germanate Oxo Clusters Decorated by 1,10-Phenanthroline Chromophores.

A series of lanthanide-germanate oxo clusters, [Ln(phen)Ge(μ-O)T(HO)]·2HO [Ln = Dy (1a) and Er (1b); T = -CHCHCOO group; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline], [Ln(phen)Ge(μ-O)T(HO)]·2phen·16HO [Ln = Sm (2a), Eu (2b), and Gd (2c)], and [Ho(phen)Ge(μ-O)T(HO)]·2phen·13HO (3), have been hydrothermally synthesized from the reactions of bis(carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide) and LnO with auxiliary phen chromophores. Compounds 1a and 1b consist of cage clusters [Ln(phen)Ge(μ-O)T(HO)] and free HO molecules, where cage clusters are arranged in a CsCl type, while compounds 2a-2c consist of cage clusters [Ln(phen)Ge(μ-O)T(HO)], free phen, and free HO molecules, where cage clusters are arranged in a NaCl type. Compound 3 consists of the one-dimensional neutral chain [Ho(phen)Ge(μ-O)T(HO)] and free HO molecules. These compounds provide the first examples of p-f heterometallic [Ge-O-Ln] oxo clusters decorated by phen chromophores. The photoluminescent and magnetic properties of all compounds have been investigated.