Step by Step Assembly of Polynuclear Lanthanide Complexes with a Phosphonated Bipyridine Ligand.

The synthesis of the octadentate ligand L (LH8 = ((([2,2′-bipyridine]-6,6′-diylbis(methylene))bis(azanetriyl))tetrakis(methylene))tetrakis(phosphonic acid)) is reported. The coordination of L with various lanthanide cations was monitored by absorption and luminescence spectrophotometric titration experiments (Ln = Tb, Yb), potentiometry (Ln = La, Eu, Lu), and mass spectrometry (Ln = Tb). It was found that L forms very stable mononuclear (LnL) species in aqueous solutions (log K = 19.80(5), 19.5(2), and 19.56(5) for La, Eu, and Lu, respectively) with no particular trend along the series. Spectroscopic data showed the Ln cations to be enclosed in the cavity formed by the octadentate ligand, thereby shielding the metal from interactions with water molecules in the first coordination sphere. When more than one equivalent of cations is added, the formation of polynuclear [(LnL)2Lnx] complexes (x = 1–3) can be observed, the presence of which could be confirmed by electrospray and MALDI mass spectrometry experim...