Themed collection RSC Advances Editors' collection: f Block Chemistry

This review summarized the recent progress on Gd(III)-based nanoparticles as T₁-weighted MRI contrast agents and multimodal contrast agents.

Structural and optical properties of a lanthanide-doped material (Er³⁺, Yb³⁺ co-doped Y₂SiO₅ powder) prepared by combustion synthesis.

Luminescent lanthanide coordination polymers composed of lanthanide ions and organic joint ligands exhibit characteristic photophysical and thermostable properties that are different from typical organic dyes, luminescent metal complexes, and semiconductor nanoparticles.

Time-resolved NIR imaging of lanthanide coated silica particles using Photon Arrival Time Imaging allows fast acquisition of high contrast images based on the probe luminescence lifetime.

The solvent-free Eu-MOF with high red emission intensity and the microporous instinct exhibits high sensitivity for 2,4,6-trinitrophenol with K_sv constant 6.24 × 10⁴ M⁻¹.

Two new DTPA analogues, centrally (L¹) and terminally (L²) functionalised with a 1,8-naphthalimide chromophore, have been successfully prepared and fully characterized.

A rigid NON-donor pincer ligand was employed for the synthesis of neutral lutetium and anionic lanthanum alkyl complexes; the former is highly active for both intra- and inter-molecular hydroamination.

CdTe quantum dot aggregation induced by trivalent metal ions is followed using fluorescence, dynamic light scattering and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

A newly designed radical–anchor (R–A) molecule was synthesized and covalently grafted on Ag and Au surface at one atom distance preserving the molecular spin.

Triangular gold nanoprism decorated with gadopentetic acid (TGP–PEG–Gd) for PTT guided by T₁-weighted MR/CT dual-modality imaging.

The structural and up-conversion properties of BaTiO₃ phosphors doped with Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ have been studied.

Color-tuning to white-light (CIE coordinates of x = 0.322, y = 0.331; CCT of 5979 K; ultra-high CRI of 94) with a highly luminous efficiency (17.8%) was achieved for single-component Eu³⁺−Tb³⁺−Gd³⁺-grafted polymer Poly(MMA-co-2-co-3-co-4).

Reversible binding of sialic acid to a phenylboronate derivative of a chiral europium(III) complex is signalled by a strong induced CPL signature.

Tunable blue-green-emitting LSN:0.09Ce³⁺,yTb³⁺ phosphors white-light UV LED.

The complexation of Np(V) with HEDTA in aqueous solutions was investigated by spectrophotometry, microcalorimetry and EXAFS. Thermodynamic parameters were determined and coordination modes also discussed.

The relationship between the structural features with the mechanical, luminescent and sensing properties were studied in the compounds formed from lanthanide metals, 3-hydroxinaphthalene-2,7-disulfonate and 1,10-phenanthroline ligands.

We investigate the magnetic dilution effect on the relaxation mechanisms and the estimation of the energy barrier in a photo-luminescent Dy(III)/Y(III) based Single-Ion Magnet (SIM).

p-Sulfonatocalix[5]arene either self-assemble in the presence of lanthanide ions into dense packed arrays of calixarenes or a grid-like arrangement comprising molecular capsules from adjacent bilayers, with the ‘molecular capsules’ confining small to large molecules.

Here we show that circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) can give unique insight into interactions between fluorescent commercial stains and protein-based materials used in painting. CPL can complement information from ECD and fluorescence.

We studied the structural and luminescence properties of nanocrystalline RE₃Ga₅O₁₂ (RE = Gd, Y and Lu) garnets co-doped with 1 mol% of Nd³⁺ and 10 mol% of Yb³⁺ ions. The Nd³⁺ sensitized Yb³⁺ emission at 1025 nm is observed due to efficient Nd³⁺ to Yb³⁺ energy transfer.

We demonstrated that bismuth-doped oxygen-deficient gadolinium oxides, produced through a low-temperature topochemical reduction strategy using CaH₂ as a solid-state reducing agent, show superbroad NIR PL covering the second biological window.

Molecular dynamics calculations are used to provide a self-consistent prediction of the elastic, thermal expansion and oxygen self-diffusion properties of mixed oxide nuclear fuels at arbitrary compositions.

Highly efficient near-infrared emitting Nd³⁺ and Yb³⁺ complexes have been developed based on a new polyfluorinated pyrene-appended β-diketonate ligand.

Variation of two and three photon upconversion band intensities in LNO:Er1%–Yb7.5% phosphor with temperature.

A new Gd-MOF constructed with a π-conjugated ligand shows highly luminescent selective sensing of o-, m-, and p-nitrophenol and Fe³⁺ ions in an aqueous system.

Developed nano β-NaGdF₄ doped with Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ in the core and Yb³⁺/Dy³⁺ in the shell with favorable properties for combined magnetic resonance and optical imaging.

Gd₂O₂S doped with Eu³⁺ (5%), Ti⁴⁺ (1%), Mg²⁺ (8%) nanoprobes combine optical imaging agent with persistent luminescence properties and a worthy MRI contrast with a high T₁ effect.

GdNbTiO₆ has been used as a broad band excited host material absorbing UV radiation, and the excitation energy is transferred from the O²⁻ → Nb⁵⁺(Ti⁴⁺) charge transfer band to the excited states of Eu³⁺/Dy³⁺ ions, presenting different emission colors.

Im-quenched fluorescence of Eu/IPA CPNPs can be recovered upon the addition of Hg²⁺ through the formation of a Hg/Im complex.

A novel enzyme-free amplification biosensor for uranyl detection was developed based on UO₂²⁺-specific DNAzyme and a hybridization chain reaction.

A novel heterobimetallic ruthenium(II)–gadolinium(III) complex, Ru–Gd, has been developed for luminescence and an vivo T₁-weighted MR imaging agent.

A series of anionic organo-rare-earth amido complexes stabilized by dianionic phenoxy-amido ligands were synthesized, and their catalytic property for the amidation reactions of aldehydes with amines was explored.

A new Eu–MOF constructed by a multidentate ligand with a Lewis basic pyridyl site shows highly luminescent selective sensing of the o-, m- and p-nitrophenol.

Novel GdDTPA-like complexes bearing differently branched, highly hydrophilic, gluconyl moieties were synthesized to obtain high relaxivity agents (∼20 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹ at 25 °C) over a wide range of imaging fields (0.5–3 T).

Uranyl phosphate minerals are studied by optical and vibrational spectroscopy which provide robust markers to discriminate among environmentally hazardous uranium phases.

YVO₄:Eu³⁺ nanophosphor improves long-term stability of DSSCs under illumination, due to down-shifting of high energy UV photons to the visible region.

Two-step thermal magnetic relaxation was observed in a novel three-dimensional dysprosium(III) metal–organic framework.

In this study, a new colorimetric chemosensor based on ion imprinted polymer nanoparticles was designed for quantitative detection of uranyl ions at trace levels in environmental water samples.

Visible host emission and dynamics of host–dopant energy transfer in LaPO₄:Eu phosphor is investigated using PL and complimented by DFT.

A click and three component A³ coupling reactions were achieved by lanthanum loaded CuO NPs under ultrasonication. 1,4-Disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles and propargylamines were synthesized in a short reaction time with high regioselectivity and yields.

The sensitivities (S) of Y₂O₃ (YAG/LaAlO₃):Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ phosphors increased with increasing average bond covalency and the calculated values were basically in good agreement with our experimental results.

This work reports a fascinating Tb-MOF which can efficiently and quantitatively detect nitroaromatics and maintain stable luminescent emission in a wide pH range.

Two uranium(VI) complexes with isonicotinic acid, exhibiting a monomer and a 2D polymer, have been synthesized and characterized.

The 6d electrons of Ac atom involved in excited transitions induce a strong CT-SERS enhancement which can be tuned by changing the conformation of pyridine-Ac@Au₇ complexes.

A reliable method for the quantitative production of pentavalent americium in acidic solution.

A 3D porous anionic MOF (1), decorated with -NH₂ and N sites, can serve as a host for the encapsulation of lanthanide(III) cations for emission tuning. Besides, it also shows high adsorption selectivity for CO₂ over CH₄ and N₂ at 273 K.

Six Ln^III-biradical tri-spin complexes have been synthesized, and they exhibit interesting magnetic properties.

We report the first example of crystalline and luminescent lanthanide-doped CaF₂ nanostructures synthesised in the confined space of miniemulsion at room temperature.

In this paper, we found that sensing sensitivity increases with decreasing the particle size, which was confirmed by the Judd–Ofelt theory.

Enantioselectivity of the cycloaddition up to 99.8%.