"ON-OFF" switching of europium complex luminescence coupled with a ligand redox process

Electrochemically regulated luminescence of europium complexes with β-diketone in polyether matrices

This study investigates the electrochemical modulation of luminescence color, i.e., electrofluorochromism, of an Eu complex in a polyether solvent. The electrofluorochromic (EFC) reaction of the Eu complex occurred via a reversible redox reaction between Eu3+ and Eu2+. Initially, the intrinsically stable Eu3+ complex showed intense red photoluminescence (PL) induced by f-f transitions. After the electrochemical reduction of Eu3+ to Eu2+, broad blue PL was observed attributed to the d-f transitions in the Eu2+ complex. This distinct blue luminescence from the Eu2+ complex was attributed to the effective stabilization of the Eu2+ state by the polyether solvent. The dynamic EFC reaction that changes the valence state of the Eu ion can be potentially applied to novel chemical sensors, security devices, and display devices.

Lanthanoid Complexes as Molecular Materials: The Redox Approach

The development of molecular materials with novel functionality offers promise for technological innovation. Switchable molecules that incorporate redox-active components are enticing candidate compounds due to their potential for electronic manipulation. Lanthanoid metals are most prevalent in their trivalent state and usually redox-activity in lanthanoid complexes is restricted to the ligand. The unique electronic and physical properties of lanthanoid ions have been exploited for various applications, including in magnetic and luminescent materials as well as in catalysis. Lanthanoid complexes are also promising for applications reliant on switchability, where the physical properties can be modulated by varying the oxidation state of a coordinated ligand. Lanthanoid-based redox activity is also possible, encompassing both divalent and tetravalent metal oxidation states. Thus, utilization of redox-active lanthanoid metals offers an attractive opportunity to further expand the capabilities of molecular materials. This review surveys both ligand and lanthanoid centered redox-activity in pre-existing molecular systems, including tuning of lanthanoid magnetic and photophysical properties by modulating the redox states of coordinated ligands. Ultimately the combination of redox-activity at both ligands and metal centers in the same molecule can afford novel electronic structures and physical properties, including multiconfigurational electronic states and valence tautomerism. Further targeted exploration of these features is clearly warranted, both to enhance understanding of the underlying fundamental chemistry, and for the generation of a potentially important new class of molecular material.

Photo-modulated wide-spectrum chromism in Eu3+ and Eu3+/Tb3+ photochromic coordination polymer gels: application in decoding secret information

Photo-switching emission of photochromic materials has paramount importance in the field of optoelectronics. Here, we report synthesis and characterization of a dithienylethene (DTE) based photochromic low molecular weight gelator (LMWG) and self-assembly with lanthanide (Eu3+ and Tb3+) ions to form a photochromic coordination polymer gel (pcCPG). Based on DTE ring opening and closing, the TPY-DTE gel shuttles from pale-yellow coloured TPY-DTE-O to dark blue coloured TPY-DTE-C and vice versa upon irradiating with UV and visible light, respectively, and both the photoisomers show distinct optical properties. Furthermore, integration of Eu3+ and Tb3+ lanthanides with TPY-DTE resulted in red and green emissive Eu-pcCPG (Q.Y. = 18.7% for the open state) and Tb-pcCPG (Q.Y. = 23.4% for the open state), respectively. The photoisomers of Eu-pcCPG exhibit photo-switchable spherical to fibrous reversible morphology transformation. Importantly, an excellent spectral overlap of the Eu3+ centred emission and absorption of DTE in the closed form offered photo-switchable emission properties in Eu-pcCPG based on pcFRET (energy transfer efficiency >94%). Further, owing to the high processability and photo-switchable emission, the Eu-pcCPG has been utilized as invisible security ink for protecting confidential information. Interestingly, mixed Eu3+/Tb3+ pcCPG exhibited photo-modulated multi-spectrum chromism reversibly where the colour changes from yellow, blue, and red to green and vice versa under suitable light irradiation.

Electrofluorochromic Device Based on a Redox-Active Europium(III) Complex

Electrofluorochromism owing to redox reactions on the center europium (Eu) ion in ionic liquids is examined for the helicate complexes (abbreviated as EuL) with a hexadentate pyridine derivative. Typical electrofluorochromism requires extra electroactive units complementing intra- or intermolecular energy transfer to quench fluorophores. Herein, an unprecedentedly simplified electrofluorochromic system overcoming such issues is demonstrated by utilizing reversible electrochemistry of EuL between Eu³⁺ and Eu²⁺, which accompanies large emission transition. A three-electrode electrochemical switching device is facilely prepared with an ionic liquid [BMIM][PF₆] and EuL mixture. Benefiting from the stable helical coordinated structure of the ligand in [BMIM][PF₆], highly enhanced red fluorescence of EuL with small quantity (≤1 wt %) is utilized. Rapid response and large contrast of luminescence are achieved: the emission is drastically quenched at the reduced state (Eu²⁺) and it is successfully restored by subsequent oxidation (Eu³⁺). The reversible fluctuation of excitation and emission spectra of an electrofluorochromic device is achieved in the potential window within ±2 V. The device affords excellent optoelectric properties in terms of well-controlled luminescence switching depending on the applied potentials and its durability. This work paves an efficient and smart way toward Eu luminescence control in optoelectronic devices.

Luminescence Tunable Europium and Samarium Complexes: Reversible On/Off Switching and White-Light Emission

Single-molecule functional materials with luminescence tunable by external stimuli are of increasing interest due to their application in sensors, display devices, biomarkers, and switches. Herein, new europium and samarium complexes with ligands having triphenylamine (TPA) groups as the redox center and 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) as the coordinating groups and diketonate (tta) as the second ligand have been constructed. The complexes show white-light emission in selected solvents for proper mixtures of the emission from Ln³⁺ ions and the ligands. Meanwhile, they exhibit reversible luminescence switching on/off properties by controlling the external potential owing to intramolecular energy transfer from the Ln³⁺ ions to the electrochemically generated radical cation of TPA^•+. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations have been performed to study the electronic spectra. The proposed intramolecular energy transfer processes have been verified by density functional theory (DFT) studies.

Electroluminochromic Materials and Devices Based on Metal Complexes

Electroluminochromism (ELC) refers to an interesting phenomenon exhibited by a material whose luminescent properties can be reversibly modulated under an electrical stimulus. Such a luminescence-switching property has been widely used in various organic optoelectronic devices because it can simultaneously detect electrical and optical signals. Metal complexes are the promising candidates for ELC materials due to their sensitivity to an electrical stimulus. Herein, recent progress on electroluminochromic materials and devices based on various metal complexes has been summarized. Meanwhile, the applications of these complexes in data recording and security protection have also been discussed. Finally, a brief conclusion and outlook are presented, pointing out that the development of electroluminochromic metal complexes with excellent performance is important because they play a vital role in future intelligent optoelectronic devices.

A high performance fluorescence switching system triggered electrochemically by Prussian blue with upconversion nanoparticles

A high performance fluorescence switching system triggered electrochemically by Prussian blue with upconversion nanoparticles was proposed. We synthesized a kind of hexagonal monodisperse β-NaYF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+),Tm(3+) upconversion nanoparticle and manipulated the intensity ratio of red emission (at 653 nm) and green emission at (523 and 541 nm) around 2 : 1, in order to match well with the absorption spectrum of Prussian blue. Based on the efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer and inner-filter effect of the as-synthesized upconversion nanoparticles and Prussian blue, the present fluorescence switching system shows obvious behavior with high fluorescence contrast and good stability. To further extend the application of this system in analysis, sulfite, a kind of important anion in environmental and physiological systems, which could also reduce Prussian blue to Prussian white nanoparticles leading to a decrease of the absorption spectrum, was chosen as the target. And we were able to determine the concentration of sulfite in aqueous solution with a low detection limit and a broad linear relationship.

Ruthenium-tris(bipyridine) complexes with multiple redox-active amine substituents: tuning of spin density distribution and deep-red to NIR electrochromism and electrofluorochromism

Deep-red to NIR electrochromism and electrofluorochromism are demonstrated with ruthenium-tris(bipyridine) complexes with multiple amine substituents.

Reversible On-Off Luminescence Switching in Self-Healable Hydrogels

We present herein an easy way to prepare novel responsive hydrogels by simply doping lanthanide complexes into a polymer hydrogel, poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonicacid) (PAMPSA). The resulting hybrid hydrogels can be readily processed into a range of shapes. Both the on-off luminescence switching and the healable properties are simultaneously achieved in the resulting responsive hybrid hydrogels. They exhibit effectively self-healing performance without any external stimulus and reversible "on-off" luminescence switching triggered by exposure to acid-base vapor. The key to this on-off luminescence switching behavior is that the protonation of the organic ligands compete with full coordination to Ln(3+) and that incomplete coordination affects the luminescence yield. The high proton strength in the resulting hydrogels makes the doped lanthanide complexes unstable, and ammonia (or triethylamine) vapor can dramatically decrease the proton strength through neutralization, driving the full coordination of the ligand to Ln(3+).

Photoinduced electron transfer as a design concept for luminescent redox indicators

The exploitation of photoinduced electron transfer as a general design principle for the development of luminescent redox indicators and logic gates is described. Potential future applications in biology, environmental analysis, biomedical diagnostics, corrosion science and materials science are mentioned.

New donor–acceptor conjugates based on a trifluorenylporphyrin linked to a redox–switchable ruthenium unit

Spectroelectrochemical studies show four accessible redox states on dyad 3 with the first oxidation process taking place at the Ru(ii) centre and the second oxidation and first reduction processes at the porphyrin centre.

A 1D Schiff base zinc polymer as a versatile metallo-ligand for the synthesis of polynuclear zinc cages

The 1D polymeric Schiff base zinc complex, [LZn(2)Et(2)](n), where LH(2) = (NN'-ethylene-bis(4-iminopentan-2-one)) has been demonstrated as a useful synthetic metallo building block for the synthesis of homo and heteronuclear zinc cages. The reaction of [LZn(2)Et(2)](n) with CdI(2) afforded the hetero-nuclear cage, 1, [L(2)Zn(4)(Et)(2)CdI(4)], while reaction with HgI(2) afforded a hexanuclear zinc cage, [L(2)Zn(6)(Et)(4)(μ(4)O)(μ(3)OEt)I], 2. The versatility of [LZn(2)Et(2)](n) as a metallo building block is demonstrated through the reaction with ferrocenyl carboxylic acid, affording the ferrocenyl supported zinc cage, [L(2)Zn(8)(FcCO(2))(4)(Et)(2)(OEt)(2)(μ(4)O)(2)], 3, while the reaction with Er(III) acetate afforded the decanuclear zinc cage, [L(3)Zn(10)(μ(4)O)(4)(Et)(6)], 4.