Novel lanthanide complexes for visible and IR emission

In this work we report the synthesis and photophysical properties of a novel ligand and its lanthanide complexes based on macrocycle 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid bearing 8-hydroxyquinoline as antenna. Visible and IR sensitized emission is obtained because of the efficient energy transfer from the antenna to the emitting ion. The interaction between ions and antenna is accounted for by suitable quantum chemical calculations. The good stability of the complexes and their solubility in organic solvents make them good candidates for the fabrication of plastic waveguides and optical amplifiers.