Rare earth functionalized polymers

Hydroxo- and amino-substituted aromatic carboxylates and co-cordinated β-diketonates of terbium have been immobilized by embedding into polyurethane matrices. Both, incorporation as molecular dissolutions and backbone supported species yield transparent composite materials with fair quantum yields of typically 20%; yet higher efficiencies are possible, if the complexes' capability to act as crosslinkers is exploited. However, the resulting 'concentrated' systems could as yet not be obtained as transparent materials. The present report focusses on the optical properties of o-hydroxybenzoates (salicylates), which, considering applicational aspects as well, proved to be of high potential