Luminescent Tb(III) and Sm(III) complexes with a 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-based tris-aryloxide ligand for high-performance oxygen sensors

Taking advantage of the outstanding oxygen-sensitive luminescence properties of the previously synthesised Tb(III) complex [{(MeMeArO)3tacn}LnIII(THF)] (1Tb, Ln = Tb), herein, we have prepared an oxygen sensor based on 1Tb embedded in polystyrene film (1Tb/PS) and found that 1Tb/PS shows the highest sensitivity (I0/I100 = 14.9) and the fastest response (response/recovery time = 1.9 s/2.9 s), among the lanthanide(III)-based oxygen sensors with f–f emission. Moreover, we have prepared the lanthanide(III)-based colorimetric luminescent oxygen sensor (1TbSm/PS) with green–yellow–red responses, by using 1Tb and a newly synthesised oxygen-insensitive Sm(III) complex (1Sm, Ln = Sm; Φ = 0.010 and τ = 12.2 μs).