Improving the photostability of luminescent Eu(III) complexes with imides

The chemical structure of the ligand plays a key role in determining the luminescent behavior and photostability of Eu(III) complexes. In this study, Eu(III) complexes containing N-acetylbenzamide were prepared by mechanochemical synthesis, both in the absence and presence of phenanthroline as a co-ligand. All synthesized compounds exhibited luminescence under UV excitation at 254 and 365 nm. Photostability measurements carried out over 4 hours revealed only a 10% loss in emission intensity, demonstrating good resistance to photodegradation. Nevertheless, the complexes showed lower photostability than previously reported Eu(III) complexes based on N-benzoylbenzamide without phenanthroline. These findings indicate that small variations in ligand architecture can significantly influence the photostability of Eu(III) complexes. Furthermore, they support the continued investigation of acyclic imide ligands and highlight their potential for the development of highly photostable luminescent materials.