Structurally characterized luminescent lanthanide zinc carboxylate precursors for Ln-Zn-O nanomaterials

A novel family of lanthanide zinc carboxylate compounds was synthesized, characterized (structural determination and luminescent behavior), and investigated for utility as single-source precursors to Ln-Zn-O nanoparticles. Carboxylic acids [H-ORc = H-OPc (H-O2CCH(CH3)2, H-OBc (H-O2CC(CH3)3, H-ONc (H-O 2CCH2C(CH3)3)] were individually reacted with diethyl zinc (ZnEt2) to yield a set of previously unidentified zinc carboxylates: (i) [Zn(μ-ORc)3Zn(μ-ORc)] n [ORc = OPc (1), ONc (2)], (ii) [(py)Zn]2(μ-ORc) 4 [ORc = OBc (3), ONc (4), and py = pyridine], or (iii) Zn(ORc) 2(solv)2 [ORc/solv = OPc/py (5), OcNc/H 2O (6) (OcRc = chelating)]. Introduction of lanthanide cation [Ln[N(SiMe3)2]3, ZnEt2, and HOBc in py] yielded the mixed cationic species structurally characterized as: (i) (OcBc)Ln[(μ-OBc)3Zn(py)]2 [Ln = Pr (7), Nd (8), Sm (9)] or (ii) (py)2Zn(μ-OBc)3Ln(O cBc)2(py) [Ln = Tb (10), Dy (11), Er (12), Y (13), Yb (14)]. Exploration of alternative starting materials [Ln(NO3) 3·nH2O, Zn(O2CCH3) 2, HOBc in py] led to the isolation of (NO3c)Ln[(μ-OBc)3Zn(py)]2 [Ln = La (15), Ce (16), Pr (17), Nd (18), Sm (19), Eu (20), Gd (21), Tb (22) Dy (23), and Er (24); NO3c = chelating]. The UV-vis spectra of 7-24 revealed standard absorption spectra for the Ln cations. Representative compounds were used to generate nanoparticles from an established 1,4-butanediol-based solution precipitation route. The nanoproducts isolated adopted either a mixed zincite/lanthanum oxide (18n or 22n) or pure zincite (8n or 10n) phase dependent on NO3 or OBc moiety. Fluorescence was not observed for any of these nanomaterials possibly due to phase separation, low crystallinity, surface traps, and/or quenching based on elevated Ln cation content. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.