Fluorescent properties of polymer–rare earth ion complexes. II. Poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)–rare earth ion complexes

Abstract
Poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide) with uniform composition was synthesized from acrylic acid and acrylamide by azeotropic copolymerization. The fluorescent properties of the copolymer–Eu3+ or −Tb3+ complexes were investigated. It was found that the fluorescence intensity of the complexes is dependent on the composition of the copolymer. Fluorescence lifetime measurement indicates that Eu3+ or Tb3+ exists in the complexes in at least two coordination forms, and the difference of the nature or relative quantity of the coordination forms varies with the composition of the copolymer. The fluorescence lifetime of Eu3+ or Tb3+ in the complexes is also dependent on the composition of the copolymer. It was also found that intramacromolecular hybrid coordination of oxygen containing and nitrogen containing coordination groups makes Eu3+ or Tb3+ fluoresce more strongly than intermacromolecular hybrid coordination of the two types of coordination groups does.