A study of fluorescence in some tris- and tetrakis-diketonates of europium(III) by examination of absorption and excitation spectra

Abstract

From a spectroscopic study of tris- and tetrakis-diketonate complexes of europium(III) information on the mechanism by which radiation absorption in the ligand produces fluorescence characteristic of the metal ion has been obtained. Excitation and absorption spectra of the complexes in the solid state and in solution are used to show that energy transfer takes place wholly, or predominantly, from one level of the first excited singlet state to the triplet manifold of the ligand from which excitation of the europium(III) occurs. Problems in obtaining excitation spectra free from distortion are discussed.