Luminescent cryptands. 3-aroylcoumarin macrobicyclic complexes of europium(III) and terbium(III): the effect of coumarin substitution.

Substituted 3-aroylcoumarins incorporated in a polyethylenoxy cryptand (2.2.2) by the 3-aroyl group were synthesized with the purpose of developing new markers to be used in time-resolved fluorimetric bioaffinity assays based on the unique luminescence properties of Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions. Some spectral properties and luminescence intensities of the complexes were measured in acetonitrile and MeOH. The mechanism of metal sensitization depended on lanthanide and will be discussed in detail. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.