Erbium complexes with tetra-15-crown-5-phthalocyanine: Synthesis and spectroscopic study

Erbium mono-, bis-, and tris(phthalocyaninates) with tetra-15-crown-5-phthalocyanine (H2R4Pc) were synthesized and studied by spectroscopic methods. The complexes were obtained by reacting H2R4Pc with erbium salts in high-boiling solvents. To compare the efficiency of two approaches to the synthesis of double-decker lanthanide phthalocyaninates, bis(phthalocyaninate) [Er(R4Pc)2] was also obtained by a template procedure from dicyanobenzo-15-crown-5. A combination of physicochemical methods (UV and IR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, 1H NMR) was used for identifying the compounds and proving their individuality and structure. The photoluminescence method demonstrated that solutions of erbium bis- and tris(phthalocyaninates) in CHCl3 are nonfluorescent in the visible range of light whereas solutions of mono(phthalocyaninate) in CHCl3 and DMSO exhibit fluorescence with maxima at 707 and 695 nm, respectively. The oxidation of erbium mono(phthalocyaninate) leads to fluorescence quenching.