Recent advances in the development of luminescent lanthanide-based supramolecular polymers and soft materials

An Encyclopedic Compendium on Chemosensing Supramolecular Metal-Organic Gels

Chemosensing, an interdisciplinary scientific domain, plays a pivotal role ranging from environmental monitoring to healthcare diagnostics and (inter)national security. Metal-organic gels (MOGs) are recognized for their stability, selectivity, and responsiveness, making them valuable for chemosensing applications. Researchers have explored the development of MOGs based on different metal ions and ligands, allowing for tailored properties and sensitivities, and have even demonstrated their applications as portable sensors such as paper-based test strips for practical use. Herein, several studies related to MOGs development and their applications in the chemosensing field via UV-visible or luminance along with electrochemical approach are presented. These papers explored MOGs as versatile materials with their use in sensing bio or environmental analytes. This review provides a foundational understanding of key concepts, methodologies, and recent advancements in this field, fostering the scientific community.

A sodium carboxymethyl cellulose-induced emission and gelation system for time-dependent information encryption and anti-counterfeiting

Many lanthanide complexes do not form gel or even exhibit characteristic luminescence of lanthanide ions, which limits their applications in many fields. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a third component that can not only promote emission but also gel the lanthanide complex system to construct new smart materials such as time-dependent information encryption and anti-counterfeiting materials. Herein, a luminescent lanthanide metallogel was successfully prepared by using the third component sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) to induce the gelation and luminescence of the complex (H3L/Tb3+) of 4,4',4″-((benzene-1,3,5-tricarbonyl)tris(azanediyl)) tris(2-hydroxybenzoic acid) (H3L) and Tb3+. The H3L/Tb3+ complex itself does not form gel and has no characteristic luminescence of Tb3+. Moreover, the multicolor emission of H3L/Tb3+/NaCMC gels was prepared based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) platforms to obtain a high-security level information encryption and anti-counterfeiting materials. These multicolor emission gels exhibit emission color tunability with time dependence due to the different energy transfer efficiencies at each pH node controlled by glucono-δ-lactone hydrolysis time. Based on the time response characteristics, the time-dependent information encryption and anti-counterfeiting materials are developed.

An acid-chromic luminescent lanthanide metallogel for time-dependent information encryption and anti-counterfeiting

Luminescent materials with dynamic color transformation demonstrate significant potential in advanced information encryption and anti-counterfeiting. In this study, we designed multi-color luminescent lanthanide metallogels featuring time-dependent color transformation. These materials are based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) platforms, facilitating cascade energy transfer from the ligand 4,4',4''-[1,3,5-benzenetriyltris (carbonylimino)]trisbenzoic acid (H3L) to Tb3+ ions and subsequently to Sulforhodamine 101. The emission color of the gels can be readily adjusted by the introduction of HCl, transitioning from initial green, yellow, light red, and red hues to blue, violet, pink, and deep red, respectively. Importantly, the color change in these gels is time-dependent, controlled by the hydrolysis time of glucono-δ-lactone, which modulates the luminescence intensity of H3L, Tb3+, and Sulforhodamine 101. Exploiting these characteristics, we developed methods for information encryption utilizing 3D color codes and anti-counterfeiting flower patterns. These patterns undergo time-dependent transformations, generating a series of 3D codes and flower patterns that can only be recognized in a predetermined manner. These findings highlight the promising application of lanthanide metallogels in advanced information protection strategies.

Multifunctional chitosan-based lanthanide luminescent hydrogel with stretchability, adhesion, self-healing, color tunability and antibacterial ability

Lanthanide luminescent hydrogels have broad application prospects in various fields. However, most of lanthanide hydrogels possess relatively simple functions, which is not conducive to practical applications. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly urgent to develop multifunctional hydrogels. Herein, a multifunctional chitosan-based lanthanide luminescent hydrogel with ultra-stretchability, multi-adhesion, excellent self-healing, emission color tunability, and good antibacterial ability was prepared by a simple one-step free radical polymerization. In this work, our designed lanthanide complexes [Ln(4-VDPA)3] contain three reaction sites, which can be copolymerized with N-[tris(hydroxymethyl) methyl] acrylamide (THMA), acrylamide (AM), and diacryloyl poly(ethylene glycol) (DPEG) to form the first chemical crosslinking network, while hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) interacts with the hydroxyl and amino groups derived from the chemical crosslinking network through hydrogen bonds to form the second physical crosslinking network. The structure of the double network as well as the dynamic hydrogen bond and lanthanide coordination endow the hydrogel with excellent stretchability, adhesion and self-healing properties. Moreover, the introduction of lanthanide complexes and chitosan makes the hydrogel exhibit outstanding luminescence and antibacterial performances. This research not only realizes the simple synthesis of multifunctional luminescent hydrogels, but also provides a new idea for the fabrication of biomass-based hydrogels as intelligent and sustainable materials.

Rapid Semiconducting Supramolecular Mg(II)-Metallohydrogel: Exploring Its Potential in Nonvolatile Resistive Switching Applications and Antiseptic Wound Healing Properties

An effective strategy was employed for the rapid development of a supramolecular metallohydrogel of Mg(II) ion (i.e., Mg@PEHA) using pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA) as a low-molecular-weight gelator in aqueous medium under ambient conditions. The mechanical stability of the synthesized Mg@PEHA metallohydrogel was characterized by using rheological analysis, which showed its robustness across different angular frequencies and oscillator stress levels. The metallohydrogel exhibited excellent thixotropic behavior, which signifies that Mg@PEHA has a self-healing nature. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images were utilized to explore the rectangular pebble-like hierarchical network of the Mg@PEHA metallohydrogel. Elemental mapping through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of primary chemical constituents in the metallohydrogel. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectroscopy provided insights into the possible formation strategy of the metallohydrogel. In this work, Schottky diode structures in a metal-semiconductor-metal geometry based on a magnesium(II) metallohydrogel (Mg@PEHA) were constructed, and the charge transport behavior was observed. Additionally, a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device was developed using Mg@PEHA, which displayed bipolar resistive switching behavior at room temperature. The researchers investigated the switching mechanism, which involved the formation or rupture of conduction filaments, to gain insights into the resistive switching process. The RRAM device demonstrated excellent performance with a high ON/OFF ratio of approximately 100 and remarkable endurance of over 5000 switching cycles. RRAM devices exhibit good endurance, meaning they can endure a large number of read and write cycles without significant degradation in performance. RRAM devices have shown promising reliability in terms of long-term performance and stability, making them suitable for critical applications that require reliable memory solutions. Significant inhibitory activity against the drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia strain and its biofilm formation ability was demonstrated by Mg@PEHA. The minimum inhibitory concentration value of the metallohydrogel was determined to be 3 mg/mL when it was dissolved in 1% DMSO. To study the antibiofilm activity, an MTT assay was performed, revealing that biofilm inhibition (60%) commenced at 1 mg/mL of Mg@PEHA when dissolved in 1% DMSO. Moreover, in the mouse excisional wound model, Mg@PEHA played a crucial role in preventing postoperative wound infections and promoting wound healing.

Recent advances in the development of europium(III) and terbium(III)-based luminescent supramolecular metallogels

In the recent past, special attention has been paid to the development of metallogels as novel luminescent materials from rationally designed gelators with lanthanide ions, especially europium (Eu(III)) and terbium (Tb(III)) metal ions. Lanthanide (Ln(III)) based metallogels possess various useful properties with an extensive range of applications in the field of advanced materials, and electronic and bio-technologies. Lanthanide ions in coordination with appropriate sensitizer ligands can reproduce metal-based optical, redox, and electronic properties in soft gel materials. The optical properties of the luminescent Ln(III) based metallogels can be tuned over the complete visible spectrum (400-750 nm) including the generation of white light by mixing both Eu(III) and Tb(III) with the ligand in various stoichiometric ratios. Additionally, the dynamic nature of the lanthanide-ligand (Ln-N) coordination bond allows the Ln(III) based metallogels to respond to various external stimuli. Luminescent self-healing supramolecular gels using organic ligands as 'hosts' and Ln(III) ions as 'guests' are also a current topic of research interest. In this review, we discuss and summarize some selected recent examples of newly developed luminescent Eu(III) and Tb(III) based supramolecular metallogels with potential applications in the fields of optoelectronic devices, stimuli responsiveness, self-healing, luminescent films, and sensors.

Generating water/MeOH-soluble and luminescent polymers by grafting 2,6-bis(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine (btp) ligands onto a poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) polymer and cross-linking with terbium(III)

The synthesis of two new polymers made from P(E-alt-MA) (poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) and possessing 2,6-bis(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine (btp) ligand side chains in 3 and 6 mol%, respectively (P1 and P2, respectively) is described. These polymers were shown to be soluble in MeOH solution and, in the case of P1, also in water, while P2 needed prolonged heating to enable water dissolution. Btp ligands are known for coordinating both d- and f-metal ions and so, herein, we demonstrate by using both UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence emission, as well as time-gated phosphorescence spectroscopies, that both P1 and P2 can bind to Tb(III) ions to give rise to luminescent polymers. From the analysis of the titration data, which demonstrated large changes in the emission intensity properties of the polymer upon Tb(III) binding (ground state changes were also clearly observed, with the absorption being red-shifted at lower energy), we show that the dominant stoichiometry in solution is 1 : 2 (M : L; Tb(III) : btp ratio) which implies that two btp ligands from the polymer background are able to crosslink through lanthanide coordination and that the backbone of the polymer is very likely to aid in coordinating the ions.

Lanthanide-Based Langmuir–Blodgett Multilayers: Multi-Emissive, Temperature-Dependent Thin Films

Multi-emissive compounds have attracted significant attention from the research community owing to the wide array of potential application areas. However, to move towards application, such systems should be readily immobilized by solution-based methods to form soft materials such as gels and films. Herein we report the use of Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) deposition to easily immobilize luminescent lanthanide-based amphiphilic solids into multi-emissive ultrathin LB films, by multilayering different luminescent amphiphiles. Utilizing this technique, we have reliably fabricated dual- and triple-emissive films where the overall emission from the film is tuned. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that these multi-emissive films are temperature-dependent, with emission profiles significantly altering from 294 to 340 K, resulting in colour changes and potential application as ultrathin, contactless ratiometric thermometer coatings.

Fluorescent Molecular Logic Gates and Pourbaix Sensors in Polyacrylamide Hydrogels

Polyacrylamide hydrogels formed by free radical polymerisation were formed by entrapping anthracene and 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide fluorescent logic gates based on photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and/or internal charge transfer (ICT). The non-covalent immobilisation of the molecules in the hydrogels resulted in semi-solid YES, NOT, and AND logic gates. Two molecular AND gates, examples of Pourbaix sensors, were tested in acidic aqueous methanol with ammonium persulfate, a strong oxidant, and displayed greater fluorescence quantum yields than previously reported. The logic hydrogels were exposed to aqueous solutions with chemical inputs, and the fluorescence output response was viewed under 365 nm UV light. All of the molecular logic gates diffuse out of the hydrogels to some extent when placed in solution, particularly those with secondary basic amines. The study exemplifies an effort of taking molecular logic gates from homogeneous solutions into the realm of solid-solution environments. We demonstrate the use of Pourbaix sensors as pE-pH indicators for monitoring oxidative and acidic conditions, notably for excess ammonium persulfate, a reagent used in the polymerisation of SDS-polyacrylamide gels.

Hierarchical supramolecular co-assembly formation employing multi-component light-harvesting charge transfer interactions giving rise to long-wavelength emitting luminescent microspheres

Charge transfer (CT) interaction induced formation of a hierarchical supramolecular assembly has attracted attention due to its wide diversity of structural and functional characteristics. In the present work, we report the generation of green luminescent microspheres from the charge transfer interaction induced co-assembly of a bis-naphthyl dipicolinic amide (DPA) derivative with tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) for the first time. The properties of these self-assemblies were studied both in solution and the solid-state using spectroscopic and a variety of microscopy techniques. The X-ray crystal structure analysis showed a mixed stack arrangement of DPA and TCNB. The molecular orbital and energy level calculations confirm the charge transfer complex formation between DPA and TCNB. Furthermore, energy transfer was observed from the green luminescent CT complex to a red-emitting dye, pyronin Y, in the microsphere matrix, leading to the formation of a light-harvesting tri-component self-assembly.

One material, many possibilities via enrichment of luminescence in La2Zr2O7:Tb3+ nanophosphors for forensic stimuli aided applications

Engineering a single material with multidirectional applications is crucial for improving productivity, low cost, flexibility, least power consumption, etc. To achieve these requirements, novel design structures and high-performance materials are in urgent need. Lanthanide-doped nanophosphors have the greatest strengths and ability in order to tune their applications in various dimensions. However, applications of nanophosphor in latent fingerprints visualization, anti-counterfeiting, and luminescent gels/films are still in their infancy. This study demonstrated a simple strategy to enhance the luminescence of Tb³⁺ (1-11 mol %) doped La₂Zr₂O₇ nanophosphors by conjugating various fluxes via a simple solution combustion route. The photoluminescence emission spectra reveal intense peaks at ~ 491, 546, 587, and 622 nm, which arises from ⁵D₄ → ⁷F_J (J = 6, 5, 4, 3) transitions of Tb³⁺ ions, respectively. The highest emission intensity was achieved in the NH₄Cl flux assisted nanophosphor as compared to NaBr and NH₄F assisted samples. The colorimetric images of fingerprints visualized using the optimized nanophosphor on forensic related surfaces exhibit level -III ridge details, including sweat pores, the width of the ridges, bifurcation angle, and the successive distance between sweat pores, etc. These results are decisive parameters that clearly support the statement "no two persons have ever been found to have the same fingerprints". The anti-counterfeiting security ink was formulated using optimized nanophosphor and various patterns were designed by simple screen printing and dip pen technologies. The encoded information was decrypted only under ultraviolet 254 nm light. All the designed patterns are exhibit not just what it looks/feel like and how better it works. As a synergetic contribution of enhanced luminescence of the prepared nanophosphor, the green-emissive films were fabricated, which display excellent flexibility, uniformity, and transparency in the normal and ultraviolet 254 nm light illumination. The aforementioned results revealed that the prepared NH₄Cl flux-assisted La₂Zr₂O₇: Tb³⁺(7 mol %) NPs are considered to be the best candidate for multi-dimensional applications.

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles-Embedded Lanthanide Organic Polyhedra for Enhanced Stability, Luminescence and Cell Imaging

We report here a simple but efficient “ship-in-a-bottle” synthetic strategy for increasing the stability and luminescence performance of LOPs by embedding them into mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). Three types of...

Luminescent lanthanide-macrocycle supramolecular assembly

A series of macrocyclic compounds, including crown ether, cyclodextrin, cucurbituril and pillararene, bound to various specific organic/inorganic/biological guest molecules and ions through various non-covalent interactions, can not only make a single system multifunctional but also endow the system with intelligence, especially for luminescent materials. Due to their excellent luminescence properties, such as long-lived excited states, sharp linear emission bands and large Stokes shift, lanthanides have shown great advantages in luminescence, and have been more and more applied in the design of advanced functional luminescent materials. Based on reported research, we summarize the progress of lanthanide luminescent materials based on different macrocyclic compounds from ion or molecule recognition to functional nano-supramolecular assembly of the lanthanide-macrocycle supramolecular system including photo-reaction mediated switch of lanthanide luminescent molecules, multicolor luminescence, ion detection and cell imaging of rare-earth up-conversion of macrocyclic supramolecular assembly. Finally, we put forward the prospects of future development of lanthanide luminescent macrocyclic supramolecular materials.

Ultra-thin films of amphiphilic lanthanide complexes: multi-colour emission from molecular monolayers

We report the synthesis and Langmuir-Blodgett deposition of 4 brightly emissive lanthanide amphiphiles that can be co-deposited to give multi-emissive ultra-thin films where two, three and four distinct lanthanide emission profiles are observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a four-component emissive Langmuir-Blodgett film.

Carboxymethyl chitosan‒promoted luminescence of lanthanide metallogel and its application in assay of multiple metal ions

In this work, the luminescence of lanthanide supramolecular metallogel formed by the self-assembly of 5,5',5″-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)tris(azanediyl)triisophthalate (H₆L) and Tb³⁺ was efficiently promoted by carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS). The total quantum yield of the resultant metallogel (denoted as H₆L/Tb³⁺/CMCS gel) was 9 times higher than the gel without CMCS. The average lifetime of H₆L/Tb³⁺/CMCS gel increased from 0.51 ms to 1.20 ms. More importantly, the aqueous dispersion of H₆L/Tb³⁺/CMCS xerogels showed a stable and pH-dependent luminescence. Based on the selective affinity of CMCS to different metal ions as well as with the aid of principal component analysis, H₆L/Tb³⁺ /CMCS can be used as a sensor array to distinguish 11 metal ions (P < 0.05). This work provides a new strategy for the design and development of bio-based functional luminescent lanthanide supramolecular metallogels.

Luminescence sensitization of terbium-loaded supramolecular gels by hydroxybenzoic acids and used for salicylates sensing

The luminescent terbium (Tb³⁺)-loaded supramolecular gels were facilely prepared through the self-assembly of Fmoc-diphenylalanine (FmocPhePhe) at room temperature. Hydroxybenzoic acid (HA, the isomers are denoted as 2-HA, 3-HA, and 4-HA depending upon the positions of hydroxyl groups) was used as a sensitizer to Tb³⁺. The luminescence sensitization of Tb³⁺ in the gels was realized by the coordination with hydroxybenzoic acids. The spectra of luminescence, UV-vis, FT-IR, and ¹H NMR verified that this sensitization was attributed to the energy transfer from hydroxybenzoic acids to Tb³⁺. The results of XRD, SEM, and phase transfer temperature further indicated that the initial molecule arrangement of the gels was significantly changed by 2-HA, resulting in more ordered and more compact morphology of the gels. 2-HA exhibited more effective sensitization to Tb³⁺ in the gels than 3-HA and 4-HA. It was also found that 2-HA did not affect the self-assembly of FmocPhePhe. Due to the effective fluorescence sensitization by 2-HA, the as-prepared gels can be used for salicylic acid sensing with 6.8 μM of the detection limit. This strategy has been successfully used for the detection of salicylates in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Highlights of the development and application of luminescent lanthanide based coordination polymers, MOFs and functional nanomaterials

The development of lanthanide based coordination polymer and metal-organic framework (CPs and MOFs) nanomaterials as novel functional (e.g. luminescent and magnetic) materials has attracted significant attention in recent times. This is in part due to the wide, but yet unique coordination requirements that the f-metal ions possess, as well as their attractive physical properties, which are often transferred to the bulk material. Hence, there is no surprise, that the design, synthesis and characterisation of lanthanide based CP/MOF materials (featuring either 'pure' lanthanides, or a mixture of both f- and d-metal ions) for applications in gas and small molecule absorption, storage, conversion/catalysis, chemical sensing, bio-imaging, drug delivery, etc. has been a prominent feature in the scientific literature. In this review, we give a selected overview of some of the recent developments in the area of Ln CP/MOF based nanomaterials for sensing, optical materials and bio-medicine research, as well as making reference to some more established examples, with the view of introducing, particularly to new researchers to the field, the powerful and attractive features of lanthanide based materials.

Adhesion enhancement via the synergistic effect of metal–ligand coordination and supramolecular host–guest interactions in luminescent hydrogels

We report an approach to achieve adhesion enhancement via the synergistic effect of metal–ligand coordination and supramolecular host–guest interactions in luminescent hydrogels without affecting their luminescence behavior.

Co-cross-linked lanthanide-containing nanocomposite luminescent hydrogels

We report a hydrogel with co-cross-linked networks synthesized via in situ polymerization of NIPA, LAPONITE® and lanthanide complex, endowing the hydrogel with thermoresponsive mechanical and luminescent performance.

Terpyridine-Containing π-Conjugated Polymers for Light-Emitting and Photovoltaic Materials

2,2':6',2″-Terpyridine (tpy) is a versatile moiety used in the construction of small novel molecules or polymers. Extending or coupling tpy with π-conjugation structures can result in interesting optoelectronic properties. This mini-review summarizes the significant progress made over the past decades in the study of tpy-containing π-conjugated polymers and their application in light-emitting and photovoltaic materials. When coordinated with metal ions, tpy exhibits immense potential for the synthesis of metallo-supramolecular or metallo-polymer materials. Therefore, tpy-based metallo-polymers are the primary focus of this study. Selected examples will be reviewed with a special emphasis on the properties of these functional systems, which can consequently help further their application in light-to-electricity or electricity-to-light conversion fields.

Balancing connectivity with function in silver(i) networks of pyridyltriazole (tzpa) ligands results in the formation of a metallogel

A new flexible and divergent 1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-picolinamide (tzpa) ligand 2 and the half-equivalent model ligand 1, both functionalised with pendant 3-pyridyl groups, are reported and their coordination behaviour with silver(i) ions is explored, both in the crystalline phase and through the formation of a supramolecular metallogel. The self-assembly of tzpa ligand 1 with AgCF3SO3 resulted in the formation of a 1D coordination polymer, binding in a bidentate fashion through the pyridyl and triazole nitrogen atoms of the tzpa binding site and a pendant pyridyl nitrogen atom of an adjacent ligand. Doubling the number of metal binding sites in ligand 2, while retaining the same metal binding domain, gives rise to the formation of a supramolecular metallogel on reaction with AgBF4 at 5 wt% in MeCN, possessing self-healing properties.

Pyrene-Based Co-Assembled Supramolecular Gel; Morphology Changes and Macroscale Mechanical Property

Two pyrene derivatives having the perylenediimide (1) or the alky chain (2) in the middle of molecules were synthesized. Co-assembled supramolecular gels were prepared at different molar ratios of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 equiv. of 2 to 1. By SEM observation, the morphology of co-assembled supramolecular gels changed from spherical nanoparticles to three-dimensional network nanofibers as the ratio of 2 increased. In addition, the pyrene-excimer emission of co-assembled gels increased with increasing concentration of 2, and was stronger when compared with the condition without 1 or 2, indicating the formation of pyrene interaction between 1 and 2. In addition, the sol-gel transition was found to be reversible over repeated measurement by tube inversion method. The rheological properties of co-assembled supramolecular gels were also improved by increasing the ratio of 2, due to the increased nanoscale flexibility of supramolecular packing by introducing alkyl chain groups through heterogeneous pyrene interaction. These findings suggest that macroscale mechanical strength of co-assembled supramolecular gel was strongly influenced by nanoscale flexibility of the supramolecular packing.

Recent advances in coordination-driven polymeric gel materials: design and applications

Recently, research attention has been directed towards the coordination driven synthesis of gels, including coordination polymer gels (CPGs) and metal-organic cage based gels, which have shown applications in diverse fields, including optoelectronics, catalysis, sensing, gas-storage, and self-healing. A wide variety of CPGs and metal-organic cage based gels have been reported, to date, by choosing the right combination of metal ions and rationally designed organic linkers. In this article, we focused on recent developments in CPGs and metal-organic cage based gels and their applications.

A heat-set lanthanide metallogel capable of emitting stable luminescence under thermal, mechanical and water stimuli

A luminescence-stable lanthanide-based metallogel prepared by a heat-set procedure.

Reversible Redox Switching of Concurrent Luminescence and Visual Color Change Based on Lanthanide Metallogel

The development of reversible redox supramolecular gels capable of concurrent luminescence switch and visible color change with the facile redox process has always been an intriguing challenge. A redox-responsive supramolecular lanthanide metallogel with strong luminescence and yellow color is obtained via coordination interaction between 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNSA) and europium (Eu³⁺). Upon the addition of TiO₂ to the prepared gel (DNSA/Eu³⁺ gel), the oxidation process of the gel (DNSA/Eu³⁺/TiO₂ gel) can be easily achieved by UV irradiation. The DNSA/Eu³⁺/TiO₂ gel exhibits a concurrent reversible "on-off" luminescence and color change in response to redox stimuli. The DNSA/Eu³⁺/TiO₂ gel shows a concurrent quench of luminescence and a color change from yellow to red when the gel was stimulated by the reductant. Upon UV irradiation, the luminescence and color of the reduced DNSA/Eu³⁺/TiO₂ gel restored to its initial state due to the strong oxidation ability of hydroxyl radicals derived from photocatalytic oxidation of TiO₂. The results of UV-vis and mass spectroscopy indicated that the reversible redox responsiveness of DNSA/Eu³⁺/TiO₂ gel depends on the reversible oxidation-reduction reactions of DNSA. Moreover, DNSA/Eu³⁺/TiO₂ gel remains stable because the morphology of the gel had no change during the redox process. Exemplarily, the application of DNSA/Eu³⁺/TiO₂ gels to achieve luminescent patterning was investigated. The results demonstrated that the prepared metallogel has potential applications in the fields of writable materials, anticounterfeiting, sensors, and others.

Photoresponsive Luminescent Polymeric Hydrogels for Reversible Information Encryption and Decryption

Conventional luminescent information is usually visible under either ambient or UV light, hampering their potential application in smart confidential information protection. In order to address this challenge, herein, light-triggered luminescence ON-OFF switchable hybrid hydrogels are successfully constructed through in situ copolymerization of acrylamide, lanthanide complex, and diarylethene photochromic unit. The open-close behavior of the diarylethene ring in the polymer could be controlled by UV and visible light irradiation, where the close form of the ring features fluorescence resonance energy transfer with the lanthanide complex. The hydrogel-based blocks with tunable emission colors are then employed to construct 3D information codes, which can be read out under a 254 nm UV lamp. The exposure to 300 nm UV light leads to the luminescence quenching of the hydrogels, thus erasing the encoded information. Under visible light (>450 nm) irradiation, the luminescence is recovered to make the confidential information readable again. Thus, by simply alternating the exposure to UV and visible lights, the luminescence signals could become invisible and visible reversibly, allowing for reversible multiple information encryption and decryption.

Unexpected linkage isomerism in chiral tetranuclear bis-tridentate (1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-picolinamide (tzpa) grids

The synthesis of a chiral bis-tridentate (1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-picolinamide (tzpa) ligand is described and its coordination chemistry with Cu(NO3)2 and [Cu(MeCN)4]PF6 is explored in the crystalline phase as well as in solution. Chiral [2 × 2] tetranuclear square grid complexes [Cu4(H21)4](NO3)8 and [Cu4(H1)4](PF6)4 were observed, and crystallographically analysed, these being linkage isomers with N4O2 and N5O coordination spheres, respectively. These come about by an unusual in situ amide deprotonation and coordination, which accompanies a CuI → CuII oxidation process.

Ratiometric Luminescent Nanoprobes Based on Ruthenium and Terbium-Containing Metallopolymers for Intracellular Oxygen Sensing

A collection of luminescent metal complexes have been widely used as oxygen probes in the biomedical field. However, single intensity-based detection approach usually suffered from errors caused by the signal heterogeneity or fluctuation of the optoelectronic system. In this work, respective ruthenium (II) and terbium (III) complexes were chosen to coordinate a bipyridine-branched copolymer, so that to produce oxygen-sensitive metallopolymer (Ru-Poly) and oxygen-insensitive metallopolymer (Tb-Poly). Based on the hydrophobic Ru-Poly and Tb-Poly, a ratiometric luminescent oxygen nanoprobe was facilely prepared by a nanoprecipitation method. The nanoprobes have a typical size of ~100 nm in aqueous solution, exhibiting a green-red dual-wavelength emission under the excitation of 300 nm and 460 nm, respectively. The red emission is strongly quenched by dissolved oxygen while the green one is rather stable, and the ratiometric luminescence was well fitted by a linear Stern-Volmer equation. Using the ratiometric biocompatible nanoprobes, the distribution of intracellular oxygen within three-dimensional multi-cellular tumor spheroids was successfully imaged.

Chiral luminescent lanthanide complexes possessing strong (samarium, SmIII) circularly polarised luminescence (CPL), and their self-assembly into Langmuir-Blodgett films

The lanthanide directed self-assembly of chiral amphiphilic 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid based ligands 1 and 2 with various Ln(CF₃SO₃)₃ (Ln = Tb^III, Sm^III, Lu^III, Dy^III) salts was studied in CH₃CN and evaluated with the expected 1 : 3 and 1 : 1 Ln : Ligand species forming in solution. Ligand chirality was retained and transferred, as depicted by circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarised luminescence (CPL) measurements (for Tb^III and Sm^III), to the lanthanide centre upon complexation with high dissymmetry factor values for the Sm^III complexes obtained (g_lum = -0.44 and 0.29 and 0.45 and -0.23 for the ⁴G_5/2→⁶H_5/2 and the ⁴G_5/2→⁶H_7/2 transitions of Sm·1₃ and Sm·2₃, respectively). The ability of the complexes to form stable Langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface was also established while Langmuir-Blodgett films of Tb·L₃ and Sm·L₃ exhibited lanthanide luminescent emission.

A mixed ligand approach towards lanthanide-based gels using citric acid as assembler ligand: white light emission and environmental sensing

Fine tuning the optical properties of lanthanide-based gels using low molecular weight gelators has several advantages over the polymeric gelator analogues. Herein, we have prepared a lanthanide-based gel using low molecular weight citric acid as the assembler ligand and the optical properties of the gel were fine-tuned, utilizing a mixed ligand approach, enabling white light emission and environmental sensing (pH and temperature). The coligand utilized in the study was 4'-(4-bromophenyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine. The resultant mixed-ligand gel exhibited green and red emissions in the presence of Tb(iii) ions and Eu(iii) ions, respectively. White light emission was achieved, with CIE coordinates (0.33, 0.32), in the bimetallic Tb/Eu metallogel formed by the precise control over Tb/Eu ratio. The correlated color temperature (CCT) for white-light-emitting gel was calculated, and the value of 5473 K suggests that the system generates cool white light. While most of the reported low molecular weight gelators exhibit on-off responses to stimulus at a particular value, the present system is capable of gradually monitoring changes for stimuli such as pH and temperature over a wide range (pH from 4-11 and temperature from 20 to 70 °C). The unique design strategy of the gel and the characteristic physicochemical properties of the lanthanide ions resulted in the unprecedented ability of the system to monitor changes in environmental stimuli over a considerable range.

Metallopolymers cross-linked with self-assembled Ln4L4 cages

Herein, we report a metallopolymer based on a polydivinylbenzene (PDVB) matrix cross-linked by tetranuclear Ln₄L₄ cages.