Lanthanides have fascinated scientists for more than two centuries now, and since efficient separation techniques were established roughly 50 years ago, they have increasingly found their way into industrial exploitation and our everyday lives. Numerous applications are based on their unique luminescent properties, which are highlighted in this volume. It presents established knowledge about the photophysical basics, relevant lanthanide probes or materials, and describes instrumentation-related aspects including chemical and physical sensors. The uses of lanthanides in bioanalysis and medicine are outlined, such as assays for in vitro diagnostics and research. All chapters were compiled by renowned scientists with a broad audience in mind, providing both beginners in the field and advanced researchers with comprehensive information on on the given subject.

The invention provides lanthanide chelates capable of intense luminescence. The celates comprise a lanthanide chelator covalently joined to a coumarin-like or quinolone-like sensitizer. Exemplary sensitzers include 2- or 4-quinolones, 2- or 4-coumarins, or derivatives thereof e.g. carbostyril 124 (7-amino-4-methyl-2-quinolone), coumarin 120 (7-amino-4-methyl-2-coumarin), coumarin 124 (7-amino-4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-coumarin), aminomethyltrimethylpsoralen, etc. The chelates form high affinity complexes with lanthanides, such as terbium or europium, through chelator groups, such as DTPA. The chelates may be coupled to a wide variety of compounds to create specific labels, probes, diagnostic and/or therapeutic reagents, etc. The chelates find particular use in resonance energy transfer between chelate-lanthanide complexes and another luminescent agent, often a fluorescent non-metal based resonance energy acceptor. The methods provide useful information about the structure, conformation, relative location and/or interactions of macromolecules.

Lanthanide elements were first used some thirty years ago in the optical glass industry, followed shortly by their use as NMR shift reagents in organic chemistry. Since then, the application of lanthanides in studies of organic and biochemical systems by use of their NMR and spectroscopic properties has created a rapidly growing interest in the physics and chemistry of these elements. Their use in industrial catalysts, electronic and optical components, high-temperature superconductors, in medicine as X-ray intensifying materials, relaxation agents for imaging techniques or radioisotopes for pharmaceutical applications, have combined with their utilisation in science as probes of a wide variety of phenomena giving them a prominent place in modern science. In this book, leading experts describe the various facets of the application of lanthanides as probes in life, chemical and earth sciences. The aim is to provide guidance to scientists who may wish to use the unique advantages of lanthanide probes in their own fields.To supplement the chapters on the basic concepts of the application of lanthanides, chapters are provided on the basic chemistry of these elements and on the synthetic and analytical aspects of lanthanides and their compounds. The book thus provides a great deal of useful information which will no doubt assist scientists in using these fascinating and valuable elements in their research.

The present invention provides luminescent lanthanide metal chelates comprising a metal ion of the lanthanide series and a complexing agent comprising at least one phthalamidyl moiety. Also provided are probes incorporating the phthalamidyl ligands of the invention and methods utilizing the ligands of the invention and probes comprising the ligands of the invention.

This comprehensive book presents the theoretical principles, current applications and latest research developments in the field of luminescent lanthanide complexes; a rapidly developing area of research which is attracting increasing interest amongst the scientific community. Luminescence of Lanthanide Ions in Coordination Compounds and Nanomaterials begins with an introduction to the basic theoretical and practical aspects of lanthanide ion luminescence, and the spectroscopic techniques used to evaluate the efficiency of luminescence. Subsequent chapters introduce a variety of different applications including: • Circularly polarized luminescence • Luminescence bioimaging with lanthanide complexes • Two-photon absorption of lanthanide complexes • Chemosensors • Upconversion luminescence • Excitation spectroscopy • Heterometallic complexes containing lanthanides Each chapter presents a detailed introduction to the application, followed by a description of experimental techniques specific to the area and an extensive review of recent literature. This book is a valuable introduction to the literature for scientists new to the field, as well as providing the more experienced researcher with a comprehensive resource covering the most relevant information in the field; a ‘one stop shop’ for all key references.

The present invention provides luminescent lanthanide metal chelates comprising a metal ion of the lanthanide series and a complexing agent comprising at least one salicylamidyl moiety. Also provided are probes incorporating the salicylamidyl ligands of the invention and methods utilizing the ligands of the invention and probes comprising the ligands of the invention.