Lanthanide ions possess fascinating optical properties and their discovery, first industrial uses and present high technological applications are largely governed by their interaction with light. Lighting devices (economical luminescent lamps, light emitting diodes), television and computer displays, optical fibres, optical amplifiers, lasers, as well as responsive luminescent stains for biomedical analysis, medical diagnosis, and cell imaging rely heavily on lanthanide ions. This critical review has been tailored for a broad audience of chemists, biochemists and materials scientists; the basics of lanthanide photophysics are highlighted together with the synthetic strategies used to insert these ions into mono- and polymetallic molecular edifices. Recent advances in NIR-emitting materials, including liquid crystals, and in the control of luminescent properties in polymetallic assemblies are also presented. (210 references.)

Taking advantage of luminescent lanthanide ions

Recent startling interest for lanthanide luminescence is stimulated by the continuously expanding need for luminescent materials meeting the stringent requirements of telecommunication, lighting, electroluminescent devices, (bio-)analytical sensors and bio-imaging set-ups. This critical review describes the latest developments in (i) the sensitization of near-infrared luminescence, (ii) “soft” luminescent materials (liquid crystals, ionic liquids, ionogels), (iii) electroluminescent materials for organic light emitting diodes, with emphasis on white light generation, and (iv) applications in luminescent bio-sensing and bio-imaging based on time-resolved detection and multiphoton excitation (500 references).

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Lanthanide luminescence for functional materials and bio-sciences

Keywords: Time-Resolved Fluorescence ; Resonance Energy-Transfer ; Near-Infrared Luminescence ; Double-Stranded Dna ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Photoinduced Electron-Transfer ; Europium-Tetracycline Complex ; Sybr-Green-I ; Terbium Complexes ; Optical Probes Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-149396doi:10.1021/cr900362eView record in Web of Science Record created on 2010-06-17, modified on 2017-05-12

Lanthanide Luminescence for Biomedical Analyses and Imaging

Interpretation of europium(III) spectra

On the design of highly luminescent lanthanide complexes

The radiative rate constants for depopulation of the excited states of closely-related series of anionic, neutral and cationic europium, terbium and ytterbium complexes have been measured in H2O and D2O. With the aid of selective ligand deuteriation, the relative contributions of OH, NH (both amide and amine) and CH oscillators have been measured and critically assessed. Quenching of the Eu 5D0 excited state by amine NH oscillators is more than twice as efficient as OH quenching. The importance of the distance between the excited Ln ion and the XH oscillator is described with recourse to published crystallographic information. The general equation, q = A′(ΔkH2O–kD2O)corr is presented and revised values of A′ for Eu (1.2 ms), Tb (5 ms) and Yb (1 µs) given, which allow for the quenching contribution of closely diffusing OH oscillators. The relevance of such studies to the hydration state of certain gadolinium complexes is described and clear evidence provided for a break in hydration at gadolinium.

Non-radiative deactivation of the excited states of europium, terbium and ytterbium complexes by proximate energy-matched OH, NH and CH oscillators: an improved luminescence method for establishing solution hydration states

Louise Royle

Papers

Non-radiative deactivation of the excited states of europium, terbium and ytterbium complexes by proximate energy-matched OH, NH and CH oscillators: an improved luminescence method for establishing solution hydration states