Optical properties of triethylaminium salt of trifluoroacetic acid

Triethylaminium trifluoroacetate (CH3CH2)3NH+ -O(O)C-CF3, obtained by reacting trifluoroacetic acid with triethylamine, is a colorless ionic liquid that passes into the vapor phase when heated to 200-220 °C. The compound has been characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, refractometry, electron absorption and emission spectroscopy. In the UV spectrum there is a weak absorption band in the range of 260-340 nm. When excited at 320 nm, the compound shows two photoluminescence bands at 375 and 425 nm. The ionic liquid readily dissolves lanthanide coordination compounds: erbium(III) phenanthroline thenoyltrifluoromethyl acetonate Er(tta)3·phen, europium(III) tris(3-trifluoroacetamidobenzoyltrifluoroacetonate) and holmium(III) acetylacetonate Ho(acac)3. The absorption spectra of erbium(III), europium(III), holmium(III) β-diketonates and emission spectra of erbium(III) and europium(III) β-diketonates are presented.