Perfluoroalkyl Chain Length Effect on Crystal Packing and [LnO 8 ] Coordination Geometry in Lanthanide-Lithium β-Diketonates: Luminescence and Single-Ion Magnet Behavior.

Functionalized perfluoroalkyl lithium β-diketonates (LiL) react with lanthanide(III) salts (Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy) in methanol to give heterobimetallic Ln-Li complexes of general formula [(LnL 3 )(LiL)(MeOH)]. The length of fluoroalkyl substituent in ligand was found to affect the crystal packing of complexes. Photoluminescent and magnetic properties of heterobimetallic β-diketonates in the solid state are reported. The effect of the geometry of the [LnO 8 ] coordination environment of heterometallic β-diketonates on the luminescent properties (quantum yields, phosphorescence lifetimes for Eu, Tb, Dy complexes) and single-ion magnet behavior ( U eff for Dy complexes) is revealed.