Luminescent lanthanide complexes: From sensing to supramolecular assemblies

ORGN 20

Thorfinnur Gunnlaugsson, gunnlaut@tcd.ie, School of Chemistry, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, College Green, Dublin, 2, Ireland
The development of targeting luminescent molecules, as probes and sensors is of great current interest in supramolecular chemistry. As often such probes are based on organic fluorescent chromophores, their short-lived emission lifetimes can be seriously affected by auto fluorescence and light scattering. This is a potential drawback, particularly for in vivo use, but can be simply overcome by means of using long emitting and long-lived molecular excited states. Lanthanide antenna-complexes such as those made using Eu(III) and Tb(III), which emit in the visible region, with characteristic line-like emission bands and large Stokes-shifts, are examples of such potential alternatives. We have developed simple luminescent switches and sensors whereby the above physical processes have been modulated by incorporating a receptor moiety as an integrated part of the antenna into lanthanide ion complexes. This design has also been employed in the development of larger selfassembly architectures where the receptors have been used as bridging units.