Ligand design lanthanide chemistry

Ligand Design in Modern Lanthanide Chemistry 343 12.2.7 Tethered A -heterocyclic carbenes... 

There is vast amount of literature involving studies of rare earth complexes with specific guests under the umbrella of supramolecular chemistry. The ligands involved in this area of rare earth complexes are not usually available commercially. In fact the ligands are designed and synthesized and later the rare earth complexes of the synthesized ligands are prepared. An example is cited here to illustrate the scheme involved in the preparation of lanthanide supramolecular complexes. 

Figure 13.4 Typical design principle of lanthanide complex-based chemosensors based on binding of an analyte (an) (a) directly influencing the Ln(III) luminescence, (b) influencing photophysical properties of the ligand, and (c) addition of a sensitizing analyte onto a poorly luminescent lanthanide-containing sensor [1]. (Reproduced from J.C.G. Bunzli and C. Piguet, Taking advantage of luminescent lanthanide ions, Chemical Society Reviews, 34, 1048-1077, 2005, by permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry.)...

The chemistries of scandium and yttrium are often reported together (although yttrium is also often grouped with the lanthanides) so in this section they will be discussed together. Reference, where appropriate, will be made to the first volume in this series, Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry The Synthesis, Reactions, Properties and Applications of Coordination Compounds (CCC, 1987). Volume 3 of CCC (1987) contained a chapter entitled Scandium, Yttrium and the Lanthanides and this chapter is designed to follow part of that chapter. The articles reviewed will cover the period 1982-2001 although earlier work may be cited. Volume 2 of CCC (1987), devoted to ligands, will also be referred to in this chapter. 

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