LN-DENDRI-POLS · Lanthanide Dendrimer-Polymer Hybrids

Organic complexes of lanthanides are enjoying a renaissance due to their increased commercial usage (eg. in lighting/display devices, as MRI contrast agents, as luminescent markers for bioassay). However, considerable challenges remain to overcome the low absorbance of Ln(III) cations and limited luminescent performance of emitters in the Near-Infra Red (NIR).This project will characterise lanthanide chelates with unique topologies provided by dendrimers and 'star-shaped' polymer materials, which allow for the incorporation of multiple sensitizing chromophores and shield the luminescent metal from deactivation by its immediate environment. These compounds will have improved luminescent performance at wavelengths desired for biological assays and biomedical imaging.