Title:	Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Lanthanide(III) Complexes
DNr:	NAISS 2023/22-854
Project Type:	NAISS Small Compute
Principal Investigator:	Min Tao <min.tao@kemi.uu.se>
Affiliation:	Uppsala universitet
Duration:	2023-08-30 – 2024-09-01
Classification:	10402
Keywords:

Abstract

Photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) is often invoked to elucidate the observed quenching of photoluminescence in the lanthanide (Ln) complexes containing Eu(III), Yb(III) and Sm(III) cations. Trapped by the conventional methodologies and intricate mechanisms, solid evidence of the existence of PeT in Ln complexes has been a rarity. In this work, an elaborate investigation on Gd(III), Tb(III), and Eu(III) complexes with same or similar ligand was conducted to investigate the PeT in Ln complexes by steady-state, femtosecond/nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculation. Upon photoexcitation of the ligand, a swift decay of the singlet state was conspicuous in the Eu complexes, in stark contrast to the Gd and Tb counterparts. This rapid decay could be exquisitely adjustable by manipulating solvent polarity or modifying functional groups on the ligand. All of these finding suggested the existence of PeT from ligand singlet state in the investigated Eu complexes. Gaining comprehensive insight into the deactivation mechanisms within Ln complexes holds promise for refining material performance and paving a path toward leveraging Eu complexes as catalysts.