Pinacol
lanthanide complexes PyraLn (Ln
= Dy and Tb)
with the restriction of intramolecular vibration were obtained for
the first time via an in situ solvothermal coordination-catalyzed
tandem reaction using cheap and simple starting materials, thereby
avoiding complex, time-consuming, and expensive conventional organic
synthesis strategies. A high-resolution electrospray ionization mass
spectrometry (HRESI-MS) analysis confirmed the stability of PyraLn in an organic solution. The formation process of PyraLn was monitored in detail using time-dependent HRESI-MS,
which allowed for proposing a mechanism for the formation of pinacol
complexes via in situ tandem reactions under one-pot coordination-catalyzed
conditions. The PyraLn complexes constructed using a
pinacol ligand with a butterfly configuration exhibited distinct aggregation-induced
emission (AIE) behavior, with the αAIE value as high
as 60.42 according to the AIE titration curve. In addition, the PyraLn complexes in the aggregated state exhibit a rapid photoresponse
to various 3d metal ions with low detection limits.
These findings provide fast, facile, and high-yield access to dynamic,
smart lanthanide complex emissions with bright emission and facilitate
the rational construction of molecular machines for artificial intelligence.