New lanthanide–CB[6] coordination compounds: relationships between the crystal structure and luminescent properties

The reaction between cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) and lanthanide chlorides (Eu, Sm, Tb and Tm) in acidic aqueous media led to four new structures. The compounds obtained are isostructural with general formula [Ln2(H2O)12(H2O@CB[6])]Cl6(H2O)4 (Ln = Eu(3+) (1), Sm(3+) (2), Tb(3+) (3) and Tm(3+) (4)) and crystallize in the P21/c space group. For the complexes with Eu(3+), Sm(3+) and Tb(3+), the luminescent properties in the solid state and aqueous media were explored and all spectroscopic observations are in excellent agreement with the single crystal structure data. The excitation and emission spectra show the typical f-f transitions characteristic of the trivalent lanthanide ions. The transitions (7)FJ ← (5)D1 (J = 0,1,2) in the europium compound and (7)FJ ← (5)D4 (J = 0,1,2) in the terbium compound, not yet reported in lanthanide-CB[n] compounds, were also observed.