Three cognate ligands containing bipyridine carboxylic frameworks were readily prepared
under mild conditions from a pivotal 6-bromo-6′-bromomethyl-2,2′-bipyridine building
block and a primary amine as starting materials. In one case, the amine was adequately
functionalised with a nitro group. Transformation of the resulting bromo derivatives
to the corresponding ethyl esters was made possible by the use of a carboethoxylation
reaction promoted by palladium(0), while further hydrolysis afforded the targeted
acids after protonation. Corresponding europium complexes show interesting luminescence
properties in water at biological pH values.
bromination - carboalkoxylation - bipyridine-carboxylate - Eu complexes - luminescence