Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Synthesis of Core-shell Lanthanide-doped Upconversion Nanocrystals for Cellular Applications
Published on: November 10, 2017
Synthesis, Thermal, Structural Analyses, and Photoluminescent Properties of a New Family of Malonate-Containing
Sajjad Hussain1,2, Xuenian Chen1,3, William T A Harrison4
1Henan Key Laboratory of Boron Chemistry and Advanced Energy Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China.
Abstract:
Five new Lanthanide(III) complexes of malonic acid (HOOC-CH2-COOH); {[Gd(C3H2O4)(H2O)4]·NO3} (1), {[Tb(C3H2O4)(H2O)4]·NO3} (2), {[Ho(C3H2O4)(H2O)4]·NO3} (3), [Er(C3H2O4)(C3H3O4)(H2O)2] (4), and {[Eu2(C3H2O4)2(C3H3O4)2(H2O)6]·4H2O} (5) were synthesized and characterized by elemental, infrared spectral, and thermal analyses. The structures of compounds 1-5 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The X-ray analysis reveals that compounds 1, 2, and 3 are isostructural and crystallized in the orthorhombic space group Pmn21. The lanthanide(III) ions are coordinated by four carboxylate and four water oxygen atoms adopting a distorted square antiprism geometry. The LnO8 square antiprisms are linked into infinite layers by malonate (C3H2 ) dianions sandwiching sheets of nitrate counter ions. Compound 4 contains ErO8 square antiprisms linked into a two-dimensional network by hydrogen malonate (C3H3 ) anions and malonate dianions. The europium complex, 5 is dinuclear having the two europium(III) ions (Eu1 and Eu2) bridged by carboxylate groups of hydrogen malonate ligands. The europium ions in 5 are nine-coordinate and exhibit a distorted monocapped square antiprism geometry. All the structures are consolidated by O-H⋯ O hydrogen bonds. The photoluminescence spectra of 1-5 exhibit characteristic emissions in the visible region. The IR spectra and thermal data are consistent with the structural results. The room-temperature effective magnetic moments for 1-4 are in good agreement with those expected for the free ions, while the data for 5 indicates that low-lying excited states contribute to the observed moment. The compound 1 was further subjected to quantum computational calculations to explore its optoelectronic properties including; density of states (DOS), dielectric function, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and absorption spectrum, to highlight the possible applications of such materials in the optoelectronics.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Coordination Number and Geometry
Protein Families
Coordination Compounds and Nomenclature
Structural Isomerism
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can...
Alkylation of β-Diester Enolates: Malonic Ester Synthesis
Gene Families
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...

