Dendrimer‐Based,High‐Luminescence Conjugated Microporous Polymer Films for Highly Sensitive and Selective Volatile Organic Compound Sensor Arrays

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) are attracting increasing attention in chemical sensing due to their extended π‐conjugated framework, permanent microporous structure, and large specific surface area. However, the extremely poor solubility and processability of CMPs, as well as the serious fluorescence quenching caused by aggregation, restrict their practical applications. Herein, a high‐luminescence CMP film is constructed based on a novel dendrimer (TPETCz) featured by its central tetraphenylethylene “core” with aggregation‐induced emission effect and its highly electro‐active “branches.” High specific surface area CMP films for analyte diffusion are fabricated by a facile in situ electropolymerization method. These dendrimer‐based CMP films exhibit superior sensitivity to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). More importantly, 18 types, the most types reported, of VOC vapors are precisely distinguished by the linear discriminant analysis by establishing a 2D fluorescence sensor array based on the CMP films and the dendrimer monomer films.     

Novel Signal‐Amplifying Fluorescent Nanofibers for Naked‐Eye‐Based Ultrasensitive Detection of Buried Explosives and Explosive Vapors

A novel electrospun fluorescent nanofiberous membrane with a function like “molecular wires” was developed via electrospinning for the detection of ultra‐trace nitro explosive vapors and buried explosives by naked eye under UV excitation. The high binding affinity between the electron‐deficient nitro explosives and the sensing film results in a rapid, dramatic quenching in its fluorescence emission. A wide spectrum of nitro explosives, in particular, TNT, Tetryl, RDX, PETN and HMX could be “visually” detected at their sub‐equilibrium vapors (less than 10 ppb, 74 ppt, 5 ppt, 7 ppt and 0.1 ppt, respectively) released from 1 ng explosives residues. Such outstanding sensing performance could be attributed to the proposed “sandwich‐like” conformation between pyrene and phenyl pendants of PS which may allow efficient long‐range energy migration similar to “molecular wire”, thus achieving amplified fluorescence quenching. Its application for the detection of buried explosives in soil by naked eye was also demonstrated, indicating its potential application for landmine mapping. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the detection of buried explosives without the use of any advanced analytical instrumentation.     

1,3,6,8‐Tetraphenylpyrene Derivatives: Towards Fluorescent Liquid‐Crystalline Columns?

Tetraphenylpyrene has been selected as a discotic core to promote liquid‐crystalline fluorescent columns in view of its high fluorescence quantum yield in solution and ease of substitution by flexible lateral side chains. The synthesis and characterization of ten new derivatives of pyrene have been carried out; the pyrene core has been substituted at the 1,3,6,8‐positions by phenylene rings bearing alkoxy, ester, thioether, or tris(alkoxy)benzoate groups on the para position; the compounds have been characterized by mass spectrometry and ¹H NMR and UV‐vis spectroscopies. In order to generate liquid‐crystalline phases, the nature, number, and size of the side chains as well as the degree of polarity around the tetraphenylpyrene core have been varied. However, the desired liquid‐crystalline behavior has not been observed. The supramolecular order together with the absorption and emission properties in solution and the solid state are discussed and compared to theoretical predictions. Quantum‐chemical calculations rationalize the high solid‐state fluorescence of a tetraphenylpyrene derivative for which the crystal structure has been determined.     

Substituent Effects on Crosslike Packing of 2′,7′‐Diaryl‐ spiro(cyclopropane‐1,9′‐fluorene) Derivatives: Synthesis and Crystallographic,Optical, and Thermal Properties

A series of 2′,7′‐diarylspiro(cyclopropane‐1,9′‐fluorene) derivatives are efficiently synthesized and characterized to determine the reason for the “green‐light” emission of these compounds. These compounds exhibit bright‐violet to blue photoluminescence (PL) (λ^PL_max = 353–419 nm) with excellent PL quantum efficiencies (Φ_PL = 83–100 %) in solution and show high thermal stabilities (T_d = 267–474 °C). The variation of the optical properties of these molecules in the solid state depends on the different stacking modes of these compounds containing different substituents, which are revealed by crystallographic analysis. CH…π hydrogen bonds instead of intermolecular π–π interactions act as the driving force between adjacent fluorenes, even though a very small dialkyl group (cyclopropane) is introduced at the C‐9 position of fluorene. The crosslike molecular stacking efficiently reduces the energy transfer between the herring‐like aggregates and therefore results in the absence of a “green‐light” emission tail. In order to determine the cause of the “green‐light” emission tails, the fluorescence spectra of the films annealed in N₂ or in air are recorded. Broad green‐light emission tails were observed for the films annealed in air, which might be caused by fluorenone defects generated during processing or during the course of the photophysical analysis by reaction with residual oxygen.     

A Protein‐Nanocellulose Paper for Sensing Copper Ions at the Nano‐ to Micromolar Level

Tracing heavy metals is a crucial issue in both environmental and medical samples. In this work, a sensing biomolecule, the cyanobacterial C‐phycocyanin (CPC), is integrated into a nanocellulose matrix, and with this, a biosensor for copper ions is developed. The assembly of CPC‐functionalized nanocellulose into a red‐fluorescent, copper‐sensitive hybrid film “CySense”, enhances protein stability and facilitates the reuse and the regeneration of the sensor for several cycles over 7 days. CySense is suitable for the analysis of complex medical samples such as human serum filtrate. The reported biosensor reliably detects copper ion contents with a lower detection limit of 200 × 10^?9m and an IC50 of 4.9 × 10^?6m as changes in fluorescence emission intensity that can be measured with a fluorimeter or a microarray laser scanner.     

Electroactive Self‐Assembled Monolayers for Enhanced Efficiency and Stability of Electropolymerized Luminescent Films and Devices

In order to further improve the efficiency and stability of luminescent electrochemical polymerization (EP) films and devices, electroactive self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) of carbazolyl alkanethiol are successfully designed and applied to modify Au electrode and covalently graft the deposited EP films. The analysis of the formation and coverage of the SAMs by atomic force microscopy (AFM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and the theoretical calculation provide consistent results indicating the SAM molecules are densely packed and standing upright (liquid‐like) on the Au surface. In addition, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), CV, UV, AFM, and sonication treatment reveal that the close‐packed electroactive SAMs are effective at enhancing the work function of electrode, increasing the deposition rate of EP precursor as well as elevating the cross‐linking efficiency and the adhesive property of subsequent EP films. This is a simple and very efficient method for improving the performance of EP device, which has potential applications in display devices.     

Pyrene‐Capped Conjugated Amorphous Starbursts: Synthesis,Characterization, and Stable Lasing Properties in Ambient Atmosphere

A family of trigonal starburst conjugated molecules (TrFPy, TrFPy, and TrF2Py) composed of a truxene core and pyrene cappers with various bridge lengths is synthesized and characterized. The incorporation of pyrene cappers successfully depress the crystallization tendency, resulting in enhanced glassy temperature and improved morphological stability of the thin films. The high photoluminescence yield in neat films and excellent thermal stability render these pyrene‐capped starbursts promising lasing optical gain media. Low amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) thresholds (E_th^ASE) of 180 nJ pulse^‐1 and 101 nJ pulse^–1 were recorded for TrFPy and TrF2Py, respectively. One dimensional distributed feedback (1D DFB) lasers demonstrated lasing threshold of 9.3 kW/cm² and 7.3 kW/cm² for TrFPy (at 457 nm) and TrF2Py lasers (at 451 nm), respectively. The ASE performance of TrFPy and TrF2Py in an ambient condition was recorded with various annealing temperature (from 80 to 250 °C, 10 min). Surprisingly, TrFPy exhibited excellent ASE stability in an ambient condition, which is still detectable even after annealing at 250 °C for 10 min. The results suggest the pyrene‐capped molecular design strategy is positive on improving the optical gain stability and meanwhile maintaining excellent lasing properties.     

Electrically Induced Disassembly of Electroactive Multilayer Films Fabricated from Water Soluble Polythiophenes

A novel approach to induce disassembly of electroactive multilayer films fabricated by the layer by layer assembly technique is reported. Electroactive multilayer films are constructed using water soluble polythiophenes, i.e., negatively charged poly[ammonium (3‐thienyl)ethoxypropanesulfonate] (SPT) and positively charged poly[3‐(3′‐thienyloxy)ethyltriethylammonium] (APT). “Induced” dissolution of the films in response to applied potential is investigated using a quartz crystal microbalance equipped with an electrochemical cell module (EC‐QCM‐D). Disassembly of the films is observed in response to three different potentials: +650, –650, and ±650 mV; however the time for dissolution varies as a function of the potential with films subject to +650 mV dissolving fully in 19 h compared to 42 h for films subject to –650 mV. These electroactive films and their controlled dissolution under applied potential represent an attractive architectural feature for bionic devices that could benefit from their conductivity and dissolution over time.     

Magnetic/Fluorescent Barcodes Based on Cadmium‐Free Near‐Infrared‐Emitting Quantum Dots for Multiplexed Detection

Magnetic/fluorescent barcodes, which combine quantum dots (QDs) and superparamagnetic nanoparticles in micrometer‐sized host microspheres, are promising for automatic high‐throughput multiplexed biodetection applications and “point of care” biodetection. However, the fluorescence intensity of QDs sharply decreases after addition of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) due to absorption by MNPs, and thus, the encoding capacity of QDs becomes more limited. Furthermore, the intrinsic toxicity of cadmium‐based QDs, the most commonly used QD in barcodes, has significant risks to human health and the environment. In this work, to alleviate fluorescence quenching and intrinsic toxicity, cadmium‐free NIR‐emitting CuInS₂/ZnS QDs and Fe₃O₄ MNPs are successfully incorporated into poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) microspheres by using the Shirasu porous glass membrane emulsification technique. A “single‐wavelength” encoding model is successfully constructed to guide the encoding of NIR QDs with wide emission spectra. Then, a “single‐wavelength” encoding combined with size encoding is used to produce different optical codes by simply changing the wavelength and the intensity of the QDs as well as the size of the barcode microspheres. 48 barcodes are easily created due to the greatly reduced energy transfer between the NIR‐emitting QDs and MNPs. The resulting bifunctional barcodes are also combined with a flow cytometer using one laser for multiplexed detection of five tumor markers in one test. Assays based on these barcodes are significantly more sensitive than non‐magnetic and traditional ELISA assays. Moreover, validating experiments also show good performance of the bifunctional barcodes‐based suspension array when dealing with patient serum samples. Thus, magnetic/fluorescent barcodes based on NIR‐emitting CuInS₂/ZnS QDs are promising for multiplexed bioassay applications.     

Preparation of Near‐IR Fluorescent Nanoparticles for Fluorescence‐Anisotropy‐Based Immunoagglutination Assay in Whole Blood

A class of novel core/shell near‐IR fluorescent nanoparticles have been prepared through co‐hydrolysis of a hydrophobic silicon alkoxide, hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, and tetraethyl orthosilicate as the dye‐doped core, followed by the formation of a hydrophilic shell via hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate in a water‐in‐oil microemulsion. The co‐hydrolysis of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane and tetraethyl orthosilicate produces a highly hydrophobic core for the entrapment of a low‐cost near‐IR fluorescence dye, methylene blue. Experimental investigation of this particular core/shell nanoparticle in comparison with conventional dye‐doped silica nanoparticles demonstrates that the hydrophobic core enables the doped dye to exhibit enhanced fluorescence and show improved stability to dye leaching and exogenous quenchers. In contrast to rhodamine B doped silica nanoparticles, the near‐IR fluorescent nanoparticles also show negligible background fluorescence and low inner‐filtration interference in complex biological systems such as whole blood. This advantage is utilized for the development of an immunoagglutination assay method based on fluorescence‐anisotropy measurement for the detection of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in whole‐blood samples. The results reveal that increase in fluorescence anisotropy is linearly correlated with AFP concentration in the range 1.9–51.9 ng mL^–1.     

Effects of Site Encapsulation on Electrochemical Behavior of Redox‐Active Core Dendrimers

Dendrimers are potentially useful for encapsulation of core moieties. Although the conformation that a dendrimer assumes around a core moiety cannot be directly determined, the effect of increasing dendrimer size on the photophysical and electrochemical properties of the core has been documented. Specifically, studies of electroactive core dendrimers have shown attenuation of electron transfer rates with increasing dendrimer size, which is an indication of encapsulation. However, in two recent, independent reports of electroactive core dendrimers, electron transfer rates are not attenuated as the dendrimer size increases. These reports illustrate the caution that must be taken when inferring conformation from primary structure in dendritic macromolecules.     

A High‐Capacitance Salt‐Free Dielectric for Self‐Healable,Printable, and Flexible Organic Field Effect Transistors and Chemical Sensor

Printable and flexible electronics attract sustained attention for their low cost, easy scale up, and potential application in wearable and implantable sensors. However, they are susceptible to scratching, rupture, or other damage from bending or stretching due to their “soft” nature compared to their rigid counterparts (Si‐based electronics), leading to loss of functionality. Self‐healing capability is highly desirable for these “soft” electronic devices. Here, a versatile self‐healing polymer blend dielectric is developed with no added salts and it is integrated into organic field transistors (OFETs) as a gate insulator material. This polymer blend exhibits an unusually high thin film capacitance (1400 nF cm^?2 at 120 nm thickness and 20–100 Hz). Furthermore, it shows pronounced electrical and mechanical self‐healing behavior, can serve as the gate dielectric for organic semiconductors, and can even induce healing of the conductivity of a layer coated above it together with the process of healing itself. Based on these attractive properties, we developed a self‐healable, low‐voltage operable, printed, and flexible OFET for the first time, showing promise for vapor sensing as well as conventional OFET applications.     

Malonitrile‐Functionalized Tetraphenylpyrazine: Aggregation‐Induced Emission,Ratiometric Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide,and Mechanochromism

Development of new aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) luminogens has been a hot research topic because they thoroughly solve the notorious aggregation‐caused quenching effect confronted in conventional fluorogens and their promising applications in, for example, organic light‐emitting diodes, chemo‐ and biosensors and bioimaging. Many AIE luminogens (AIEgens) have been prepared but most of them are silole, tetraphenylethene, distyrylanthracene, and their derivatives. In this work, based on the skeleton of tetraphenylpyrazine (TPP), a new AIEgen, named TPP‐PDCV, is generated by functionalizing TPP with malonitrile group. TPP‐PDCV can serve as a sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe for detecting hydrogen sulfide with high speciality and low detection limit of down to 0.5 × 10^?6m . The mechanism for such detection is fully investigated and deciphered. Unlike most reported mechanochromic AIEgens, which undergo turn‐off or ‐on emission or emission bathochromic shift in the presence of external stimuli, TPP‐PDCV exhibits an abnormal and reversible mechanochromism with hypsochromic effect. These indicate that TPP‐PDCV possesses a huge potential for high‐tech applications through rational modification of TPP core.     

Organic Nanoprobe Cocktails for Multilocal and Multicolor Fluorescence Imaging of Reactive Oxygen Species

Hypochlorite (ClO^?) as a highly reactive oxygen species not only acts as a powerful “guarder” in innate host defense but also regulates inflammation‐related pathological conditions. Despite the availability of fluorescence probes for detection of ClO^? in cells, most of them can only detect ClO^? in single cellular organelle, limiting the capability to fully elucidate the synergistic effect of different organelles on the generation of ClO^?. This study proposes a nanoprobe cocktail approach for multicolor and multiorganelle imaging of ClO^? in cells. Two semiconducting oligomers with different π‐conjugation length are synthesized, both of which contain phenothiazine to specifically react with ClO^? but show different fluorescent color responses. These sensing components are self‐assembled into the nanoprobes with the ability to target cellular lysosome and mitochondria, respectively. The mixture of these nanoprobes forms a nano‐cocktail that allows for simultaneous imaging of elevated level of ClO^? in lysosome and mitochondria according to fluorescence color variations under selective excitation of each nanoprobe. Thus, this study provides a general concept to design probe cocktails for multilocal and multicolor imaging.     

Plasmon‐Enhanced Fluorescence‐Based Core–Shell Gold Nanorods as a Near‐IR Fluorescent Turn‐On Sensor for the Highly Sensitive Detection of Pyrophosphate in Aqueous Solution

Developing plasmon‐enhanced fluorescence (PEF) technology for identifying important biological molecules has a profound impact on biosensing and bioimaging. However, exploration of PEF for biological application is still at a very early stage. Herein, novel PEF‐based core–shell nanostructures as a near‐infrared fluorescent turn‐on sensor for highly sensitive and selective detection of pyrophosphate (PPi) in aqueous solution are proposed. This nanostructure gold nanorod (AuNR)@SiO₂@meso‐tetra(4‐carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) contains a gold nanorod core with an aspect ratio of 2.3, a silica shell, and TCPP molecules covalently immobilized onto the shell surface. The silica shell is employed a rigid spacer for precisely tuning the distance between AuNR and TCPP and an optimum fluorescence enhancement is obtained. Due to the quenching effect of Cu²⁺, the copper porphyrin (TCPP‐Cu²⁺) results in a weak fluorescence. In the presence of PPi, the strong affinity between Cu²⁺ and PPi can promote the disassembly of the turn‐off state of TCPP‐Cu²⁺ complexes, and therefore the fluorescence can be readily restored. By virtue of the amplified fluorescence signal imparted by PEF, this nanosensor obtains a detection limit of 820 × 10^?9m of PPi with a good selectivity over several anions, including phosphate. Additionally, the potential applicability of this sensor in cell imaging is successfully demonstrated.     

Stable,Glassy, and Versatile Binaphthalene Derivatives Capable of Efficient Hole Transport,Hosting, and Deep‐Blue Light Emission

Organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) have great potential applications in display and solid‐state lighting. Stability, cost, and blue emission are key issues governing the future of OLEDs. The synthesis and photoelectronics of a series of three kinds of binaphthyl (BN) derivatives are reported. BN_1–3 are “melting‐point‐less” and highly stable materials, forming very good, amorphous, glass‐like films. They decompose at temperatures as high as 485–545 °C. At a constant current density of 25 mA cm^?2, an ITO/BN₃/Al single‐layer device has a much‐longer lifetime (>80 h) than that of an ITO/NPB/Al single‐layer device (8 h). Also, the lifetime of a multilayer device based on BN₁ is longer than a similar device based on NPB. BNs are efficient and versatile OLED materials: they can be used as a hole‐transport layer (HTL), a host, and a deep‐blue‐light‐emitting material. This versatility may cut the cost of large‐scale material manufacture. More importantly, the deep‐blue electroluminescence (emission peak at 444 nm with CIE coordinates (0.16, 0.11), 3.23 cd A^?1 at 0.21 mA cm^?2, and 25200 cd m^?2 at 9 V) remains very stable at very high current densities up to 1000 mA cm^?2.     

Role of Polymeric Metal Nucleation Inducers in Fabricating Large‐Area,Flexible, and Transparent Electrodes for Printable Electronics

The advent of special types of transparent electrodes, known as “ultrathin metal electrodes,” opens a new avenue for flexible and printable electronics based on their excellent optical transparency in the visible range while maintaining their intrinsic high electrical conductivity and mechanical flexibility. In this new electrode architecture, introducing metal nucleation inducers (MNIs) on flexible plastic substrates is a key concept to form high‐quality ultrathin metal films (thickness ≈ 10 nm) with smooth and continuous morphology. Herein, this paper explores the role of “polymeric” MNIs in fabricating ultrathin metal films by employing various polymers with different surface energies and functional groups. Moreover, a scalable approach is demonstrated using the ionic self‐assembly on typical plastic substrates, yielding large‐area electrodes (21 × 29.7 cm²) with high optical transmittance (>95%), low sheet resistance (<10 Ω sq^?1), and extreme mechanical flexibility. The results demonstrate that this new class of flexible and transparent electrodes enables the fabrication of efficient polymer light‐emitting diodes.     

Multifunctional Dendrimer‐Templated Antibody Presentation on Biosensor Surfaces for Improved Biomarker Detection

Dendrimers, with their well‐defined globular shape and high density of functional groups, are ideal nanoscale materials for templating sensor surfaces. This work exploits dendrimers as a versatile platform for capturing biomarkers with improved sensitivity and specificity. The synthesis, characterization, fabrication, and functional validation of the dendrimer‐based assay platform are described. Bifunctional hydroxyl/thiol‐functionalized G4‐polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer is synthesized and immobilized on the polyethylene‐glycol (PEG)‐functionalized assay plate by coupling PEG‐maleimide and dendrimer thiol groups. Simultaneously, part of the dendrimer thiol groups are converted to hydrazide functionalities. The resulting dendrimer‐modified surface is coupled to the capture antibody in the Fc region of the oxidized antibody. This preserves the orientation flexibility of the antigen binding region (Fv) of the antibody. To validate the approach, the fabricated plates are further used as a solid phase for developing a sandwich‐type enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect IL‐6 and IL‐1β, important biomarkers for early stages of chorioamnionitis. The dendrimer‐modified plate provides assays with significantly enhanced sensitivity, lower nonspecific adsorption, and a detection limit of 0.13 pg mL^?1 for IL‐6 luminol detection and 1.15 pg mL^?1 for IL‐1β TMB detection, which are significantly better than those for the traditional ELISA. The assays were validated in human serum samples from a normal (nonpregnant) woman and pregnant women with pyelonephritis. The specificity and the improved sensitivity of the dendrimer‐based capture strategy could have significant implications for the detection of a wide range of cytokines and biomarkers since the capture strategy could be applied to multiplex microbead assays, conductometric immunosensors, and field‐effect biosensors.     

Surface Engineered Carboxymethylchitosan/Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer Nanoparticles for Intracellular Targeting

Novel highly branched biodegradable macromolecular systems have been developed by grafting carboxymethylchitosan (CMCht) onto low generation poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers. Such structures organize into sphere‐like nanoparticles that are proposed to be used as carriers to deliver bioactive molecules aimed at controlling the behavior of stem cells, namely their proliferation and differentiation. The nanoparticles did not exhibit significant cytotoxicity in the range of concentrations below 1 mg mL^?1, and fluorescent probe labeled nanoparticles were found to be internalized with highly efficiency by both human osteoblast‐like cells and rat bone marrow stromal cells, under fluorescence‐activated cell sorting and fluorescence microscopy analyses. Dexamethasone (Dex) has been incorporated into CMCht/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles and release rates were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Moreover, the biochemical data demonstrates that the Dex‐loaded CMCht/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles promote the osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells, in vitro. The nanoparticles exhibit interesting physicochemical and biological properties and have great potential to be used in fundamental cell biology studies as well as in a variety of biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.     

The First Inert and Photostable Encapsulated Lanthanide(III) Complexes Based on Dendritic 9,10‐Diphenylanthracene Ligands: Synthesis,Strong Near‐Infrared Emission Enhancement,and Photophysical Studies

A series of inert and photostable encapsulated lanthanide(III) complexes—based on dendritic anthracene ligands—is shown for the first time to exhibit strong near‐IR emission bands via efficient energy transfer from the excited states of the peripheral antenna to the Ln³⁺ ions (Er³⁺, Yb³⁺, and Nd³⁺). A significant decrease in the fluorescence of the anthracene ligand is accompanied by a strong increase in the near‐IR emission of the Ln³⁺ ions. The near‐IR emission intensities of Ln³⁺ ions in the encapsulated Ln³⁺–dendrimer complexes are dramatically enhanced on increasing the generation number (n) of dendrons, owing to site‐isolation and light‐harvesting effects. Furthermore, a first attempt is made to distinguish between the site‐isolation and light‐harvesting effects in the present complexes. Photophysical studies indicate the sensitization of Ln³⁺ luminescence by energy transfer through the excited singlet state of the anthracene ligands, and the energy‐transfer efficiency between the dendritic anthracene ligands and the Ln³⁺ ion is evaluated to be in the range of 90 to 97 %. Their energy‐transfer efficiency is in good agreement with the result that the biexponential decays contain a radiative decay of anthracene units (< ca. 10 %) and an energy‐transfer component (> ca. 90 %) from the excited state of anthracene ligands to the Ln³⁺ ions. Time‐resolved luminescence spectra show monoexponential decays with a lifetime of 2 μs for the Er³⁺ ion 11 μs for the Yb³⁺ ion and 0.7 μs for the Nd³⁺ ion in thin films, and calculated intrinsic quantum yields of the Ln³⁺ ions are in the range of ca. 0.025 to 0.55 %.