Variations of Lanthanide Molecular Materials

Molecular combinations between lanthanide ions and organic ligands produce characteristic and advanced luminescent materials, which are much different from inorganic semiconductors, transition-metal phosphors, and ceramic materials. At the present stage, various types of luminescent lanthanide molecular materials have been reported. In this chapter, a brief history of lanthanide complex, coordination polymers, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are introduced. The luminescent lanthanide molecular materials show bright luminescence based on the photosensitized energy transfer. Their characteristic coordination structures provide effective sensing properties. Amorphous lanthanide complexes and coordination polymers are also explained. Amorphous materials are one of the promising candidates for transparent optical materials. The classification and molecular design of amorphous lanthanide molecular materials are expected to be useful for future luminescent molecular materials.