“…Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions, which emit green and red light, have been extensively used for analytical purposes (1,2), but other lanthanide ions such as Yb(III), Nd(III), and Er(III), which emit in the near-infrared (NIR) region, have been scarcely described as analytical reagents. The spectral properties of some chelates of these ions with porphyrins (3), azo compounds (4-7), calixarenes (8), and macrocyclic compounds (9)(10)(11)(12) have been studied, and an Yb(III) chelate has been described as a label in a qualitative immunoassay method for human chorionic gonadotropin (13). The scarce analytical applicability of these ions can be ascribed in part to the fact that the luminescence of their chelates in solution is strongly influenced by some factors such as dissolved oxygen or -OH oscillator vibrations (5,8).…”