Divergent approach to a large variety of versatile luminescent lanthanide complexes.

Using a regioselective strategy for nucleophilic aromatic substitution on polyfluoropyridines, a nonacoordinating precursor was designed that is adequately suited for complexation of lanthanide cations. Further functionalizations afforded numerous applications for near-IR emission, two-photon absorption spectroscopy, or the formation of luminescent gels.