Luminescence behaviour of stable europium and terbium complexes of tetraaza phosphinates: efficient through-space energy transfer from phenyl to terbium

Abstract

Anionic and neutral complexes of europium and terbium with tetraaza phosphinate ligands are formed rapidly and are kinetically stable in vivo; the tetrakis(benzylphosphinate) terbium complex luminesces strongly via excitation into the proximate benzyl group involving efficient intramolecular energy transfer.