Three Isostructural 4‐Sulfophthalate‐Based Lanthanide Complexes: Syntheses, Crystal Structures, and Luminescent Properties

Abstract Three lanthanide complexes with the ligand 4‐sulfophthalate (sp 3– ), [ Ln (H 2 O) 2 (sp)] n [ Ln = Dy ( 1 ), Tb ( 2 ), and Er ( 3 )], were solvo‐/hydrothermally synthesized by changing the rare earth cations, and were characterized structurally and photophysically. Complexes 1 – 3 are isostructural, exhibiting a two‐dimensional layered structure with centrosymmetric dinuclear subunits infinitely extended by 4‐connected sp 3– connectors. Photoluminescence spectra of 1 – 3 demonstrate that anionic sp 3– ligand can serve as a functionalized chromophore to sensitize the luminescent emission of the lanthanide ion, suggesting that the sp 3– ‐involved lanthanide complexes can be used as novel optical materials.