Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)
Synthesis of a novel terbium(III) complex for metal nanoparticle surface modification
Publication Date
Spring 4-2024
College
Sciences and Mathematics, College of
Department
Chemistry and Physics, Department of
BURS Faculty Advisor
Justin Stace
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Lanthanide ions exhibit visually impressive luminescence when bound to strongly absorbing ligands, a property which has been previously used to develop chemical sensors and luminescent tags for microscopy. Specifically, terbium(III)-centered ligand complexes exhibit an intense yellow-green glow when excited by shortwave ultraviolet light. While the luminescence of terbium(III) is a desired trait when designing novel complexes, choosing ligands with multiple functional groups offers additional routes for downstream customization of the complex. For instance, 4-mercaptobenzoic acid allows for the selective coordination of terbium(III) to the carboxylic acid functional group, leaving the thiol available for binding to another entity, like noble metal nanoparticles (NP). Thiol groups are extensively used to cap metallic (i.e. silver and gold) NPs. In this paper, a one pot synthetic protocol of a 4-mercaptobenzoic acid-terbium(III) complex is reported. Nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the physical structure of the compound. Data from UV-visible absorption and emission spectroscopy provided insight into the photophysical properties of the compound. Further, a method to modify the surface of plasmonic metal NPs with this complex is proposed for future adaptation of the ligand-terbium-nanoparticle system as luminescent probes.
Recommended Citation
Hurst, Lauralee E.; Ferrara, Davon; and Stace, Justin, "Synthesis of a novel terbium(III) complex for metal nanoparticle surface modification" (2024). Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS). 459.
https://repository.belmont.edu/burs/459
