Enhanced Ultraviolet Photon Capture in Ligand-Sensitized Nanocrystals

The small absorption cross sections (ϵ < 10 M-1 cm-1) characteristic of Laporte-forbidden transitions in the f-elements have limited the practical implementation of lanthanide nanoparticles in solar capture devices. While various strategies designed to circumvent the problems of low f-f oscillator strengths have been investigated, comparatively little work has explored the utility of organic ligands with high absorption coefficients (ϵ ≈ 103-105 M-1 cm-1) in sensitizing excited states in lanthanide nanocrystals. Here, we detail the photophysics of NaGd1-xEuxF4 nanoparticles featuring surface display of the ligand 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO), an aromatic antenna functioning as the terminal light absorber in this system. The result is a ligand-nanocrystal hybrid that converts UV (250-360 nm) light into red Eu(III) luminescence with an external quantum yield of 3.3%. We analyze this sensitization process, responsible for a 104-fold increase in luminescence relative to metal-centered excitation, through a quantitative treatment of energy transfer between ligand and metal states

Intramolecular sensitization of americium luminescence in solution: shining light on short-lived forbidden 5f transitions.

The photophysical properties and solution thermodynamics of water soluble trivalent americium (Am(III)) complexes formed with multidentate chromophore-bearing ligands, 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO), Enterobactin, and 5-LIO(Me-3,2-HOPO), were investigated. The three chelators were shown to act as antenna chromophores for Am(III), generating sensitized luminescence emission from the metal upon complexation, with very short lifetimes ranging from 33 to 42 ns and low luminescence quantum yields (10(-3) to 10(-2)%), characteristic of Near Infra-Red emitters in similar systems. The specific emission peak of Am(III) assigned to the (5)D1 → (7)F1 f-f transition was exploited to characterize the high proton-independent stability of the complex formed with the most efficient sensitizer 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO), with a log β110 = 20.4 ± 0.2 value. In addition, the optical and solution thermodynamic features of these Am(III) complexes, combined with density functional theory calculations, were used to probe the influence of electronic structure on coordination properties across the f-element series and to gain insight into ligand field effects

Intramolecular sensitization of americium luminescence in solution: shining light on short-lived forbidden 5f transitions

International audienceThe photophysical properties and solution thermodynamics of water soluble trivalent americium (Am-III) complexes formed with multidentate chromophore-bearing ligands, 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO), Enterobactin, and 5-LIO(Me-3,2-HOPO), were investigated. The three chelators were shown to act as antenna chromophores for Am-III, generating sensitized luminescence emission from the metal upon complexation, with very short lifetimes ranging from 33 to 42 ns and low luminescence quantum yields (10(-3) to 10(-2)%), characteristic of Near Infra-Red emitters in similar systems. The specific emission peak of Am-III assigned to the D-5(1) -> F-7(1) f-f transition was exploited to characterize the high proton-independent stability of the complex formed with the most efficient sensitizer 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO), with a log beta(110) = 20.4 +/- 0.2 value. In addition, the optical and solution thermodynamic features of these AmIII complexes, combined with density functional theory calculations, were used to probe the influence of electronic structure on coordination properties across the f-element series and to gain insight into ligand field effects

Characterizing the general chelating affinity of serum protein fetuin for lanthanides.

Fetuin is an abundant blood protein that participates in multiple biological processes, including the transport and regulation of calcium. Fetuin is also known to have a high affinity for uranium (as the uranyl dioxo cation) and plutonium, thus it has been suggested as one of the main endogenous chelating biomolecules involved in the transport of actinides following an internal uptake event. Nevertheless, no direct measurements of its affinity for f-elements beside these two actinides have been reported. Here, we investigate the interaction between fetuin and trivalent lanthanides, such as samarium, europium, terbium, and dysprosium, by mass spectrometry and fluorescence spectroscopy. Mass spectrometry results indicated that fetuin has four metal binding sites for the metal ions studied. Upon formation, the metal-protein complexes showed luminescence emission as a result of antenna sensitization of the metal ions, whose photophysics were characterized and exploited to perform direct spectrofluorimetric titrations. Furthermore, the thermodynamic constants were calculated for all complexes, confirming the formation of stable complexes with log [Formula: see text] values between 26 and 27. In characterizing the affinity of the serum protein fetuin for several f-elements, this study expands upon the initial findings focused on uranyl and plutonium, and contributes to a better understanding of the internal distribution and deposition of lanthanides, potentially representative of trivalent actinides