Tunable Emission in Samarium(III) Complexes for Display Applications: Synthesis, Structural Features and Optoelectronic Investigation
摘要
A novel series of four luminescent Sm3+ complexes having empirical formula [Sm(TFPD)3Z] were successfully prepared and fully characterized. Here, TFPD (4,4,4-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione) serves as primary β-diketonate ligand, while ancillary ligands (Z) are functionalized 1,10-phenanthroline derivatives (Phen, P1, P2 and P3). Systematic modulation of the ancillary ligand framework enabled clear elucidation of structure–property relationships, particularly the influence of ligand environment on photophysical and electronic behavior. Comprehensive characterization using elemental analysis, FTIR, 1H NMR and TGA confirmed successful formation and appreciable thermal stability. Synthesized materials exhibit a semiconducting nature, confirmed by optical band gap values (2.89 to 3.39 eV). Upon UV excitation, all compounds display characteristic intense orange–red emission centered around ~ 648 nm, corresponding to the dominant 4G5/2→6H9/2 transition of Sm3+. The CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinates further reveal tunable emission spanning red (SP1, SP2), reddish–orange (SP3) and pink (SP4) regions, demonstrating effective color modulation through ligand engineering. Overall, these findings highlight the pivotal role of ancillary ligand design in governing energy transfer efficiency and emission characteristics, establishing this new class of Sm3+ coordination compounds as promising candidates for optoelectronic and semiconducting applications, particularly in advanced display and solid state lighting technologies.