Carmen Tiseanu

Study of the Luminescent and Magnetic Properties of a Series of Heterodinuclear [ZnIILnIII] Complexes

Herein, we report the synthesis, structural investigation, and magnetic and photophysical properties of a series of 13 [Zn(II)Ln(III)] heterodinuclear complexes, which have been obtained employing a Schiff-base compartmental ligand derived from o-vanillin [H(2)valpn = 1,3-propanediylbis(2-iminomethylene-6-methoxy-phenol)]. The complexes have been synthesized starting from the [Zn(valpn)(H(2)O)] mononuclear compound and the corresponding lanthanide nitrates. The crystallographic investigation indicated two structural types: the first one, [Zn(H(2)O)(valpn)Ln(III)(O(2)NO)(3)], contains 10-coordinated Ln(III) ions, while in the second one, [Zn(ONO(2))(valpn)Ln(III)(H(2)O)(O(2)NO)(2)]·2H(2)O, the rare earth ions are nine-coordinated. The Zn(II) ions always display a square-pyramidal geometry. The first structural type encompasses the larger Ln ions (4f(0)-4f(9)), while the second is found for the smaller ions (4f(8)-4f(11)). The dysprosium derivative crystallizes in both forms. Luminescence studies for the heterodinuclear compounds containing Nd(III), Sm(III), Tb(III), Dy(III), and Yb(III) revealed that the [Zn(valpn)(H(2)O)] moiety acts as an antenna. The magnetic properties for the paramagnetic [Zn(II)Ln(III)] complexes have been investigated.

Temperature Switch of LMCT Role: From Quenching to Sensitization of Europium Emission in a ZnII―EuIII Binuclear Complex

The synthesis, structural investigation, and photophysical properties of a new heterobinuclear complex, [Zn(H(2)O)(valpn)Eu(NO(3))(3)], are reported [H(2)valpn = 1,3-propanediylbis(2-iminomethylene-6-metoxy-phenol)]. In the absence of the antenna-type sensitization of europium emission at room temperature, the strongest metal-centered emission was obtained following excitation into the (7)F(0)-(5)D(2) transition at 535 nm. In contrast, at 80 K, the strongest emission of europium was obtained by exciting into the maximum of a high-intensity, low-lying ligand-to-metal charge-transfer band (LMCT) located at approximately 425 nm. The overall temperature-induced changes of the photophysical properties of europium were assigned to the relative location of the LMCT and (3)pi pi* ligand states to the europium excited levels. The results may explain the lack of the antenna effects reported for some of the europium complexes with this type of ligand.

Surface versus volume effects in luminescent ceria nanocrystals synthesized by an oil-in-water microemulsion method

Pure and europium (Eu(3+)) doped cerium dioxide (CeO(2)) nanocrystals have been synthesized by a novel oil-in-water microemulsion reaction method under soft conditions. In-situ X-ray diffraction and RAMAN spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, UV/Vis diffuse-reflectance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to characterize the nanaocrystals. The as-synthesized powders are nanocrystalline and have a narrow size distribution centered on 3 nm and high surface area of ~250 m(2) g(-1). Only a small fraction of the europium ions substitutes for the bulk, cubic Ce(4+) sites in the europium-doped ceria nanocrystals. Upon calcination up to 1000 °C, a remarkable high surface area of ~120 m(2) g(-1) is preserved whereas an enrichment of the surface Ce(4+) relative to Ce(3+) ions and relative strong europium emission with a lifetime of ~1.8 ms and FWHM as narrow as 10 cm(-1) are measured. Under excitation into the UV and visible spectral range, the europium doped ceria nanocrystals display a variable emission spanning the orange-red wavelengths. The tunable emission is explained by the heterogeneous distribution of the europium dopants within the ceria nanocrystals coupled with the progressive diffusion of the europium ions from the surface to the inner ceria sites and the selective participation of the ceria host to the emission sensitization. Effects of the bulk-doping and impregnation with europium on the ceria host structure and optical properties are also discussed.

Temperature induced conversion from surface to "bulk" sites in Eu3+- impregnated CeO2 nanocrystals

Evolution with calcination temperature of Eu3+ sites in CeO2 nanocrystals is investigated by time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. In the as-synthesized Eu3+ impregnated CeO2, most of Eu3+ ions reside on surface (S) sites. The Eu3+emission in S sites is broad and short-lived (τ = 240 μs) being dominated by the electric dipole (ED) 5D0-7F2 emission with little evidence for clustering. After calcination (between 500 and 1300 °C), Eu3+ is distributed on surface, cubic and up to three additional crystalline sites. Surface type emission could be detected until 1100 °C. In cubic sites, Eu3 substitute for the lattice Ce4+ with Oh symmetry (O sites). The emission of Eu3+ in O sites is characterized by relative long-lived (τ = 1.8–2 ms) and ultra-narrow (FWHM = 7 cm−1) magnetic dipole (MD) 5D0-7F1 emission centered at ∼591 nm. Three more crystalline sites are attributed to the oxygen vacancy charge-compensated defects: trigonal with C3v symmetry (C1 sites) and C2 and C3 sites with C2v or lower symmetry. Eu...

Cyanomethylene-bis(phosphonate)-Based Lanthanide Complexes: Structural, Photophysical, and Magnetic Investigations

The syntheses, structural investigations, magnetic and photophysical properties of a series of 10 lanthanide mononuclear complexes, containing the heteroditopic ligand cyanomethylene-bis(5,5-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,3,2λ(5)-dioxa-phosphorinane) (L), are described. The crystallographic analyses indicate two structural types: in the first one, [Ln(III)(L)3(H2O)2]·H2O (Ln = La, Pr, Nd), the metal ions are eight-coordinated within a square antiprism geometry, while the second one, [Ln(III)(L)3(H2O)]·8H2O (Ln = Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er), contains seven-coordinated Ln(III) ions within distorted monocapped trigonal prisms. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding between nitrogen atoms of the cyano groups, crystallization, and coordination water molecules leads to the formation of extended supramolecular networks. Solid-state photophysical investigations demonstrate that Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes possess intense luminescence with relatively long excited-state lifetimes of 530 and 1370 μs, respectively, while Pr(III), Dy(III), and Ho(III) complexes have weak intensity luminescence characterized by short lifetimes ranging between a few nanoseconds to microseconds. The magnetic properties for Pr(III), Gd(III), Tb(III), Dy(III), and Ho(III) complexes are in agreement with isolated Ln(III) ions in the solid state, as suggested by the single-crystal X-ray analyses. Alternating current (ac) susceptibility measurements up to 10 kHz reveal that only the Ho(III) complex shows a frequency-dependent ac response, with a relaxation mode clearly observed at 1.85 K around 4500 Hz.

Order and disorder effects in nano-ZrO2 investigated by micro-Raman and spectrally and temporarily resolved photoluminescence

Pure and europium (Eu(3+)) doped ZrO(2) synthesized by an oil-in-water microemulsion reaction method were investigated by in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), ex situ Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. Based on the Raman spectra excited at three different wavelengths i.e. 488, 514 and 633 nm and measured in the spectral range of 150-4000 cm(-1) the correlation between the phonon spectra of ZrO(2) and luminescence of europium is clearly evidenced. The PL investigations span a variety of steady-state and time resolved measurements recorded either after direct excitation of the Eu(3+) f-f transitions or indirect excitation into UV charge-transfer bands. After annealing at 500 °C, the overall Eu(3+) emission is dominated by Eu(3+) located in tetragonal symmetry lattice sites with a crystal-field splitting of the (5)D(0)-(7)F(1) emission of 20 cm(-1). Annealing of ZrO(2) at 1000 °C leads to a superposition of Eu(3+) emissions from tetragonal and monoclinic lattice sites with monoclinic crystal-field splitting of 200 cm(-1) for the (5)D(0)-(7)F(1) transition. At all temperatures, a non-negligible amorphous/disordered content is also measured and determined to be of monoclinic nature. It was found that the evolutions with calcination temperature of the average PL lifetimes corresponding to europium emission in the tetragonal and monoclinic sites and the monoclinic phase content of the Eu(3+) doped ZrO(2) samples follow a similar trend. By use of specific excitation conditions, the distribution of europium on the amorphous/disordered surface or ordered/crystalline sites can be identified and related to the phase content of zirconia. The role of zirconia host as a sensitizer for the europium PL is also discussed in both tetragonal and monoclinic phases.

A new synthetic route towards binuclear 3d–4f complexes, using non-compartmental ligands derived from o-vanillin. Syntheses, crystal structures, magnetic and luminescent properties

Sixteen new 3d–4f binuclear complexes have been obtained using two Schiff-base ligands, Hvalampy and Hvalaepy, derived from the reaction of o-vanillin and 2-aminomethyl-pyridine or 2-(2-aminoethyl)-pyridine, respectively. Hvalaepy ligand: [Zn(valaepy)2Sm(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 1; [Ni(valaepy)2Eu(O2NO)3(H2O)]·CH3CN 2; [Ni(valaepy)2Gd(O2NO)3(H2O)]·CH3CN 3; [Ni(valaepy)2Dy(O2NO)3(H2O)]·CH3CN 4; [Ni(valaepy)2Ho(O2NO)3(H2O)]·CH3CN 5; [Cu(valaepy)2Eu(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 6; [Cu(valaepy)2Gd(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 7; Hvalampy ligand: [Zn(valampy)2Pr(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 8, [Zn(valampy)2Sm(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 9; [Zn(valampy)2Gd(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 10; [Zn(valampy)2Tb(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 11; [Zn(valampy)2Dy(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 12; [Zn(valampy)2Eu(O2NO)3]·CH3CN 13; [Ni(valampy)2La(O2NO)3(H2O)2]·2H2O 14, [Ni(valampy)2Sm(O2NO)3(H2O)2]·2H2O 15; [Ni(valampy)2Eu(O2NO)3(H2O)]·2CH3CN 16. The crystal structures of the sixteen compounds can be described as resulting from the coordination of two valaepy− (or valampy−) ligands to the 3d metal ions through two phenoxo oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms, arising from the pyridyl and azomethynic groups. In all these compounds the 3d and 4f metal ions are bridged by the phenoxo oxygen atoms. The comparative analysis of the crystal structures shows several differences, which arise mainly from the stereochemical preference of the 3d metal ions. These ions arrange the two organic ligands in positions that favour or not the coordination of the methoxy groups to the lanthanide ions. The magnetic properties of compounds 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 15, and 16 have been investigated. The exchange interactions between NiII and GdIII in 3, and between CuII and GdIII in 7 were found to be ferromagnetic (JNiGd = 1.56 cm−1; JCuGd = 4.94 cm−1; H = −JSGdSM). For the 3d–4f binuclear complexes derived from the Hvalampy ligand (namely 8–13) the photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated in the Vis spectral region. The results provide evidence for the relatively stronger antenna effect in 9 and 11 compared to 8, 12 and 13.

Fluorescence Decay of Natural Organic Matter (NOM)—Influence of Fractionation, Oxidation, and Metal Ion Complexation

Time-resolved fluorescence measurements of aquatic natural organic matter (NOM) derived from different origins were performed using the time-correlated single-photon counting technique. The obtained experimental data were analyzed with nonlinear least-squares (NLLS) algorithms. The results of a global analysis with three exponential decay terms were compared with the results obtained in a distribution analysis (exponential series method; ESM). Fulvic acid fractions from a bog lake water, from a brown coal production effluent, and from a soil seepage water as well as NOM from a municipal waste water were investigated. The influence of the emission wavelength on the NOM fluorescence decay was monitored. Furthermore, the influence of fractionation using size exclusion chromatography, of ozonation, and of metal ion complexation on the fluorescence decay of the NOM samples was investigated.

Spectrally and temporarily resolved luminescence study of short-range order in nanostructured amorphous ZrO2

The local structure amorphous ZrO(2) doped with europium (Eu(3+)) and its evolution during crystallization was investigated by using spectrally and temporally resolved luminescence of europium. A s ...

NIR to Vis-NIR up-conversion and X-ray excited emission of Er doped high Z BiOCl

Herein, we investigate the emission properties of Er - BiOCl in the range of ∼500 to 1700 nm under down - (488 and 973 nm) and NIR (telecom - wavelength at ~1500 nm) up - conversion excitation as well high energy X-ray excitation. The dependencies of red (~670 nm) and NIR (~800 nm) to green emission (~543 nm) ratio with Er concentration, excitation mode and delay after laser pulse as well as the up - conversion excitation spectra and decays are analyzed in terms of competitive ground state absorption/excited state absorption and energy transfer up - conversion mechanisms. The CIE chromaticity diagram show single excitation (~1500 nm), delay induced emission color change from yellowish green (delay of 0.001 ms) to reddish orange (delay of 1 ms). The X-ray induced emission of Er - BiOCl presents an atypical red to green emission ratio that exceeds that measured under optical down - conversion excitation by a factor of 13. The potential of Er - BiOCl for optical /X-ray imaging applications is discussed.