Lanthanide complexes based on ethyl 2-hydroxymethylidene-3-oxobutanoate

The reaction of europium(iii) or terbium(iii) chlorides with ethyl 2-hydroxymethylidene-3-oxobutanoate in the presence of 2,2’-bipyridine (2,2’-bipy) resulted in the luminescent complexes [LnL₃]·2,2’-bipy (L = ethyl 2-hydroxymethylidene-3-oxobutanoate, Ln = Tbⁱⁱⁱ or Euⁱⁱⁱ), whose molecular structure has been determined by X-ray analysis.