Circularly polarized luminescence and structural studies of a dysprosium(III) complex with an octadentate macrocyclic ligand bearing benzylphosphinate groups

The solution and solid-state structures of a Dy(III) complex with 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetryltetramethylenetetra(benzylphosphinate) have been examined by means of circularly polarized luminescence spectroscopy and crystallographic methods. The spectroscopic measurements show that the complex occurs in solution as enantiomeric pairs that do not racemize on the luminescence time-scale. It is also demonstrated that the complex crystallizes in two different unit cells, even though no significant intramolecular differences in the arrangement of the ligand around the central Dy(III) ion were evident.