Amidine-based ligand frameworks were
employed to isolate a series
of mononuclear lanthanide complexes. The employed N-2-pyridylimidoyl-2-pyridylamidine (Py2ImAm)
undergoes metal-assisted hydrolysis yielding the ligand 2-amidinopyridine
(PyAm), which coordinates to the lanthanide ions affording [Ln(acac)3(PyAm)], where Ln = Eu(III) (1), Gd(III) (2), Tb(III) (3), Dy(III) (4) along
with the Y(III) analogue (5). The Eu(III), Tb(III), and
Dy(III) congeners exhibit characteristic emissions of red, green,
and yellow light, respectively, with emission quantum yields of 3,
65, and 8%, respectively. Due to changes in the thermal population
of the Stark sublevels, the Tb(III) and Dy(III) complexes can be used
as efficient optical thermometers with maximum relative sensitivities
of 1.57 and 2.03% K–1 for 3 and 4, respectively. These results demonstrate the viability of
PyAm as an antenna for the sensitization of lanthanide ions.