Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Magnetic modulation of luminescence has not been realized in molecular lanthanide complexes, whose spin–orbit coupled 4f excited states are well shielded from external perturbations. Here, we report molecular lanthanide complexes whose photoluminescence is controllably modulated by a magnetic field below 1 T through the spin dynamics of spin-correlated radical pairs (SCRPs). SCRPs, generated by photoexcitation of donor–bridge–acceptor molecules, undergo spin-selective radical pair recombination, thereby gating the energy-transfer pathway to the emissive lanthanide center (Ln 3+ ) through a pendant triplet acceptor in Ln 3+ complexes. Application of an external magnetic field alters the singlet–triplet SCRP interconversion, leading to field-dependent modulation of Ln 3+ emission intensity by up to 50%. This effect is observed at room temperature and is fully reversible. The successful demonstration of SCRP-mediated magnetic control of the Ln 3+ emission establishes a new design paradigm for magneto-responsive lanthanide materials and identifies SCRPs as viable quantum control elements for f-element luminescence.
Source: ChemRxiv
Institution: University of Connecticut
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7212135702