A series of tetraazatriphenylene derivatives is presented that constit
utes a new and efficient class of sensitisers with significant complex
ing power for lanthanide ions. These tetraazatriphenylenes have the ab
ility to sensitise the luminescence of different lanthanide ions simul
taneously within a practically suitable excitation window, and the 2:1
(ligand - ion) complexes are stable even at row concentrations in ace
tonitrile. The very high luminescence quantum yields obtained for both
Eu3+ and Tb3+ (up to 0.41 and 0.67, respectively) in combination with
the suitable excitation window and the appreciable molar extinction c
oefficient of tetraazatriphenylenes at lambda > 330 nm make these sens
itisers very attractive for incorporation as antenna chromophores in l
uminescent lanthanide probes (e.g. for time-resolved fluorometry).