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Updated: Jul 19, 2025
07:24
Hyperspectral Imaging as a Tool to Study Optical Anisotropy in Lanthanide-Based Molecular Single Crystals
Published on: April 14, 2020
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Heterometallic lanthanide complexes with site-specific binding that enable simultaneous visible and NIR-emission.
Matthew E Thornton1, Jake Hemsworth1, Sam Hay2
1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Chemistry
|August 16, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed new bright lanthanide complexes for biological imaging. These multi-lanthanide complexes show simultaneous visible and near-infrared emission for advanced imaging applications.
Area of Science:
- Coordination Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Bioimaging
Background:
- Macrocyclic lanthanide complexes are valuable for biological imaging due to their unique luminescence.
- Achieving high brightness and metal selectivity in molecular-scale systems remains a challenge.
- Lanthanide complexes are crucial for developing advanced imaging probes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create novel trinuclear bimetallic lanthanide complexes with controlled metal binding.
- To investigate the luminescence properties of these complexes for bioimaging applications.
- To explore intermetallic communication in multimetallic lanthanide systems.
Main Methods:
- Stepwise introduction of different lanthanide ions into a bis-DO3A/DTPA scaffold.
- Synthesis of three specific trinuclear bimetallic complexes: [Yb2Tb], [Eu2Tb], and [Yb2Eu].
- Characterization of luminescence across visible and near-infrared spectra, including temperature-dependent studies and lifetime analysis.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized three [Ln2Ln'] trinuclear lanthanide complexes with controlled binding sites.
- Observed simultaneous emission from all lanthanide centers (TbIII, EuIII, YbIII) upon phenyl ligand sensitization.
- Demonstrated potential for near-infrared II biological window imaging due to YbIII emission.
Conclusions:
- The developed complexes offer bright, multi-wavelength emission suitable for advanced bioimaging.
- Intermetallic communication between TbIII and EuIII centers was identified through lifetime data analysis.
- This work advances the understanding and design of multimetallic lanthanide complexes for sophisticated applications.
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