Effect of ligand-antenna integration (ALI) in macromolecular structures on fluorescent property of processable macromolecule–lanthanide complexes

Abstract In this paper, styrene-alt-maleic anhydride copolymer (SaMA) and its grafted macromolecular architectures by citric acid (C) and ethylene diamine hydroxyethyl triacetic acid (E) were synthesized. These macromolecular architectures were used as examples of structural integration of complex ligand and energy antenna for sensitizing macromolecule–lanthanide (i.e. Eu3+ and Tb3+) complexes to emit narrow band fluorescence. The results showed that the original SaMA has efficient antenna effect to sensitize SaMA–Ln3+ complexes, whereas neither dissolved in normal solvents nor melted by heat. Grafted SaMAs by multiple carboxyl compounds made the relevant these complexes soluble in normal organic solvents but weakened their fluorescent intensity. The additional small ligand, i.e. 1,10-phenanthroline, can compensate for the loss of fluorescent property of Ln3+ complexes of grafted SaMAs.