Terbium luminescence in Langmuir-Blodgett films of octafunctionalized calix[4] resorcinarenes

Calix[4]resorcinarenes functionalized with pendant a acetates or alpha-(die thyl acetamides) [(n-C11H23)(4)-C[4]R-(OCH2COX)(8); 1, X = OMe; 2, X = NEt2 ] have been shown to incorporate terbium(III) ions into Langmuir-Blodgett f ilms. Energy-transfer luminescence from a single monolayer on quartz has be en demonstrated. An excitation wavelength of 280 nm, corresponding to the c hromophore of the ligands aromatic rings, was used. Emission was observed a t 489, 545.5, 586, and 620 nm, corresponding to the known transitions of te rbium (D-5(4) --> F-7(6), D-5(4) --> F-7(5), D-5(4) --> F-7(4), and D-5(4) --> F-7(3), respectively). It was demonstrated that a multilayer LB film of 1 and a monolayer film of 2 readily abstract terbium(III) from 2 x 10(-4) M aqueous solutions of TbCl3 and that energy transfer luminescence was subs equently exhibited.