Abstract
By combining Er(III) and Yb(III) ions with 3,6-dithiophene-anilate (Th(2)An) and scorpionate hydrotris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate (HBpz(3)(-)) ligands new luminescent dinuclear complexes are obtained. The two materials formulated as [((HB(pz)(3))(2)Yb)(2)(μ-th(2)An)]·4DCM·1.3H(2)O 1Yb and [((HB(pz)(3))(2)Er)(2)(μ-th(2)An)]·4DCM·1.8H(2)O 1Er, respectively, have been structurally characterized by SC-XRD and PXRD studies. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the photophysical properties of the Th(2)An ligand for the first time. Our findings reveal the crucial role of the thiophene anilate as an effective optical antenna, which sensitizes near-infrared (NIR)-emitting lanthanide ions, specifically Er(III) and Yb(III). The significant impact of vibrational quenching on the Ln(III) NIR emission efficiency has been also highlighted.