OXYGEN SENSOR COMPOUNDS
The invention provides the use of a luminescent heterometallic complex for detecting oxygen, which luminescent heterometallic complex comprises: a first lanthanide ion, a second lanthanide ion which is a different lanthanide from the first,and a sensitising chromophore. The complex may be used as a ratiometric probe for determining oxygen concentration. Thus, in some embodiments, detecting oxygen comprises estimating, or determining, the concentration of oxygen. The invention thus relates to a method of detecting the presence of oxygen in a sample, and to methods of estimating the concentration of oxygen in a sample. The invention also relates to novel luminescent heterometallic complexes which comprise: a first lanthanide ion, a second lanthanide ion which is a different lanthanide from the first,and a sensitising chromophore.