Photocontrolled Reversible Luminescent Lanthanide Molecular Switch Based on a Diarylethene-Europium Dyad

A new europium complex coordinated between a Eu(III) ion and an unsymmetrical diarylperfluorocyclopentene yields a light-controlled diarylethene-europium dyad, DAE@TpyEu(tta)3, whose photophysical properties can be reversibly switched by optical stimuli. When DAE@TpyEu(tta)3 is exposed to 365 nm UV light, an efficient intramolecular photochromic fluorescence resonance energy transfer (pc-FRET) occurs between the emission of the Eu(3+) donor (D) and the absorption of the diarylethene acceptor (A) in closed-form DAE@TpyEu(tta)3 accompanied by luminescence quenching. However, the pc-FRET process could be effectively inhibited by visible light (λ > 600 nm) irradiation, and the lanthanide emission of DAE@TpyEu(tta)3 is rapidly recovered. Furthermore, this luminescent lanthanide molecular switch could serve as a highly reliable and sensitive "turn on" fluorescent marker in living cells irradiated by red light without any optical interference.