ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

From a Tb³⁺ chelated compound to a hybrid material: selective emission responses to anions

Zheng-Yang Zhang, Qian-Ming Wang, Jian-Zhong Wu, Wei-Sheng Cai, and Yi-Fei Yu

School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006 China

E-mail: qmwang@scnu.edu.cn

Abstract: A novel terbium 2-hydroxymethyl-benzoimidazole-6-carboxylic acid complex has been designed and unique emission changes to fluoride anions in comparison with HSO₄⁻, AcO⁻, Cl⁻, Br⁻, and I⁻ were observed. Then, the complex was encapsulated into an inorganic matrix. The novel hybrid material, with strong green emission was successfully synthesized as an anions receptor in water. More importantly, this hybrid material not only gave luminescence response to F⁻, but also to HSO₄⁻. Spectroscopic studies demonstrated that the recognition process for fluoride ions can be mainly ascribed to its hydrogen bonding interactions with hydrogen bond donor units (NH and OH). In case of hydrogen sulfate, the sensing effects can be probably attributed to its acidity instead of hydrogen bonding interactions.

Keywords: sensor – luminescent – terbium – fluoride – hydrogen sulfate

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-011-0123-1

Chemical Papers 66 (3) 221–225 (2012)