Predicting efficient antenna ligands for Tb(III) emission

Circularly polarized luminescence of curium: a new characterization of the 5f actinide complexes

A key distinction between the lanthanide (4f) and the actinide (5f) transition elements is the increased role of f-orbital covalent bonding in the latter. Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is an uncommon but powerful spectroscopy which probes the electronic structure of chiral, luminescent complexes or molecules. While there are many examples of CPL spectra for the lanthanides, this report is the first for an actinide. Two chiral, octadentate chelating ligands based on orthoamide phenol (IAM) were used to complex curium(III). While the radioactivity kept the amount of material limited to micromole amounts, spectra of the highly luminescent complexes showed significant emission peak shifts between the different complexes, consistent with ligand field effects previously observed in luminescence spectra.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of lanthanide complexes with a new tripodal ligand featuring N-thenylsalicylamide arms

To explore the relationship between the structure of the ligands and the luminescent properties of the lanthanide complexes, luminescent lanthanide complexes of a new tripodal ligand, featuring N-thenylsalicylamide arms, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and TGA measurements. Photophysical properties of the complexes were studied by means of UV - visible absorption and steady-state luminescence spectroscopy. The results of UV - vis spectra indicate that metal binding does not disturb the electronic structure of the ligand. Excited-state luminescence lifetimes and quantum yields of the complexes were determined. The photoluminescence analysis suggested that there is an efficient ligand - Ln(III) energy transfer for the Tb(III) complex, and the ligand is an efficient 'antenna' for Tb(III). From a more general perspective, the results demonstrated the potential application of the lanthanide complex as luminescent materials in material chemistry.

Optimizing sensitization processes in dinuclear luminescent lanthanide oligomers: selection of rigid aromatic spacers

This work illustrates a simple approach for optimizing the lanthanide luminescence in molecular dinuclear lanthanide complexes and identifies a particular multidentate europium complex as the best candidate for further incorporation into polymeric materials. The central phenyl ring in the bis-tridentate model ligands L3–L5, which are substituted with neutral (X = H, L3), electron-withdrawing (X = F, L4), or electron-donating (X = OCH3, L5) groups, separates the 2,6-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine binding units of linear oligomeric multi-tridentate ligand strands that are designed for the complexation of luminescent trivalent lanthanides, Ln(III). Reactions of L3–L5 with [Ln(hfac)3(diglyme)] (hfac– is the hexafluoroacetylacetonate anion) produce saturated single-stranded dumbbell-shaped complexes [Ln2(Lk)(hfac)6] (k = 3–5), in which the lanthanide ions of the two nine-coordinate neutral [N3Ln(hfac)3] units are separated by 12–14 Å. The thermodynamic affinities of [Ln(hfac)3] for the tridentate binding sites in L3–L5 are average (6.6 ≤ log(β(2,1)(Y,Lk)) ≤ 8.4) but still result in 15–30% dissociation at millimolar concentrations in acetonitrile. In addition to the empirical solubility trend found in organic solvents (L4 > L3 >> L5), which suggests that the 1,4-difluorophenyl spacer in L4 is preferable, we have developed a novel tool for deciphering the photophysical sensitization processes operating in [Eu2(Lk)(hfac)6]. A simple interpretation of the complete set of rate constants characterizing the energy migration mechanisms provides straightforward objective criteria for the selection of [Eu2(L4)(hfac)6] as the most promising building block.

Eu(III) complexes of functionalized octadentate 1-hydroxypyridin-2-ones: stability, bioconjugation, and luminescence resonance energy transfer studies

The synthesis, stability, and photophysical properties of several Eu(III) complexes featuring the 1-hydroxypyridin-2-one (1,2-HOPO) chelate group in tetradentate and octadentate ligands are reported. These complexes pair highly efficient emission with exceptional stabilities (pEu ∼ 20.7-21.8) in aqueous solution at pH 7.4. Further analysis of their solution behavior has shown the observed luminescence intensity is significantly diminished below about pH ∼ 6 because of an apparent quenching mechanism involving protonation of the amine backbones. Nonetheless, under biologically relevant conditions, these complexes are promising candidates for applications in Homogeneous Time-Resolved Fluorescence (HTRF) assays and synthetic methodology to prepare derivatives with either a terminal amine or a carboxylate group suitable for bioconjugation has been developed. Lastly, we have demonstrated the use of these compounds as the energy donor in a Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (LRET) biological assay format.

Strong Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Highly Emissive Terbium Complexes in Aqueous Solution

Two luminescent terbium(III) complexes have been prepared from chiral ligands containing 2-hydroxyisophthalamide (IAM) antenna chromophores and their non-polarized and circularly-polarized luminescence properties have been studied. These tetradentate ligands, which form 2:1 ligand/Tb(III) complexes, utilize diaminocyclohexane (cyLI) and diphenylethylenediamine (dpenLI) backbones, which we reasoned would impart conformational rigidity and result in Tb(III) complexes that display both large luminescence quantum yield (Φ) values and strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activities. Both Tb(III) complexes are highly emissive, with Φ values of 0.32 (dpenLI-Tb) and 0.60 (cyLI-Tb). Luminescence lifetime measurements in H(2)O and D(2)O indicate that while cyLI-Tb exists as a single species in solution, dpenLI-Tb exists as two species: a monohydrate complex with one H(2)O molecule directly bound to the Tb(III) ion and a complex with no water molecules in the inner coordination sphere. Both cyLI-Tb and dpenLI-Tb display increased CPL activity compared to previously reported Tb(III) complexes made with chiral IAM ligands. The CPL measurements also provide additional confirmation of the presence of a single emissive species in solution in the case of cyLI-Tb, and multiple emissive species in the case of dpenLI-Tb.

A [Cyclentetrakis(methylene)]tetrakis[2-hydroxybenzamide] Ligand That Complexes and Sensitizes Lanthanide(III) Ions

The synthesis of the cyclen derivative H(4)L(1)·2 HBr containing four 2-hydroxybenzamide groups is described. The spectroscopic properties of the Ln(III) conplexes of L(1) (Ln=Gd, Tb, Yb, and Eu) reveal changes of the UV/VIS-absorption, circular-dichroism-absorption, luminescence, and circularly polarized luminescence spectra. It is shown that at least two metal-complex species are present in solution, whose relative amounts are pH dependent. At pH > 8.0, an intense long-lived emission is observed (for [TbL(1)] and [YbL(1)]), while at pH < 8.0, a weaker, shorter-lived species predominates. Unconventional Ln(III) emitters (Pr, Nd, Sm, Dy, and Tm) were sensitized in basic solution, both in the VIS and in the near-IR, to measure the emission of these ions.

From antenna to assay: lessons learned in lanthanide luminescence

Ligand-sensitized, luminescent lanthanide(III) complexes are of considerable importance because their unique photophysical properties (microsecond to millisecond lifetimes, characteristic and narrow emission bands, and large Stokes shifts) make them well suited as labels in fluorescence-based bioassays. The long-lived emission of lanthanide(III) cations can be temporally resolved from scattered light and background fluorescence to vastly enhance measurement sensitivity. One challenge in this field is the design of sensitizing ligands that provide highly emissive complexes with sufficient stability and aqueous solubility for practical applications. In this Account, we give an overview of some of the general properties of the trivalent lanthanides and follow with a summary of advances made in our laboratory in the development of highly luminescent Tb(III) and Eu(III) complexes for applications in biotechnology. A focus of our research has been the optimization of these compounds as potential commercial agents for use in homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) technology. Our approach involves developing high-stability octadentate Tb(III) and Eu(III) complexes that rely on all-oxygen donor atoms and using multichromophore chelates to increase molar absorptivity; earlier examples utilized a single pendant chromophore (that is, a single "antenna"). Ligands based on 2-hydroxyisophthalamide (IAM) provide exceptionally emissive Tb(III) complexes with quantum yield values up to approximately 60% that are stable at the nanomolar concentrations required for commercial assays. Through synthetic modification of the IAM chromophore and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations, we have developed a method to predict absorption and emission properties of these chromophores as a tool to guide ligand design. Additionally, we have investigated chiral IAM ligands that yield Tb(III) complexes possessing both high quantum yield values and strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity. To efficiently sensitize Eu(III) emission, we have used the 1-hydroxypyridin-2-one (1,2-HOPO) chelate to create remarkable ligands that combine excellent photophysical properties and exceptional aqueous stabilities. A more complete understanding of this chromophore has been achieved by combining low-temperature phosphorescence measurements with the same TD-DFT approach used with the IAM system. Eu(III) complexes with strong CPL activity have also been obtained with chiral 1,2-HOPO ligands. We have also undertaken kinetic analysis of radiative and nonradiative decay pathways for a series of Eu(III) complexes; the importance of the metal ion symmetry on the ensuing photophysical properties is clear. Lastly, we describe a Tb(III)-IAM compound--now carried through to commercial availability--that offers improved performance in the common HTRF platform and has the potential to vastly improve sensitivity.