Increased luminescent lifetimes of Ln3+ complexes emitting in the near-infrared as a result of deuteration

The luminescence of lanthanide(III) ions emitting in the near-infrared region is ideally suited for telecommunications applications, and a number of applications have been developed. These are in general based on inorganic matrices, but polymer-based matrices would have advantages in device fabrication. In organic matrices, however, molecular vibrations in the matrix quench the excited state of luminescent lanthanide ions. Replacement of strongly quenching groups such as C-H oscillators by more weakly quenching groups enhances the luminescence lifetime and hence also the luminescence quantum yield. This article reports a synthesis route developed in order to deuterate all C-H groups that contribute to the quenching in an organic lanthanide complex. The luminescences of three near-infrared emitting lanthanide ions - Nd3+, Er3+, and Yb3+ - were measured