Near-infrared luminescent properties and natural lifetime calculation of a novel Er3+ complex

In this communication, a novel Er3+ complex Er(PT)3TPPO [PT = 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-tert-butylbenzoyl-5-pyrazolone, TPPO = triphenyl phosphine oxide] is successfully synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Its optical properties and the energy transfer process from the ligand PT to the Er3+ ion are investigated, the typical near-infrared (NIR) luminescence (centered at around 1530 nm) is attributed to the 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 transition of Er3+ ion which results from the efficient energy transfer from PT to Er3+ ion (an antenna effect). The wider full width at half maximum (78 nm) peaked at 1530 nm in the emission spectrum and the Judd–Ofelt theory calculation on the radiative properties suggest that Er(PT)3TPPO should be a promising candidate for tunable lasers and planar optical amplifiers.