Method and use of luminescent compounds for measuring photocatalytic surface activity

Determining the activity of a photocatalytic active compound comprises contacting the active compound with an indicator compound, which is degradable in the presence of the active compound, under irradiation; irradiating the photocatalytic compound contacted with the indicator compound, with a radiation of a catalytic wave length activating the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalytic active compound; irradiating the indicator compound with a radiation of induction wave length inducing its emission; and detecting the radiation, where the indicator compound is a metal complex (I). Determining the activity of a photocatalytic active compound comprises contacting the photocatalytic active compound with an indicator compound, which is degradable in the presence of the photocatalytic active compound, under irradiation; irradiating the photocatalytic compound contacted with the indicator compound, with a radiation of a catalytic wave length activating the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalytic active compound; irradiating the indicator compound with a radiation of induction wave length inducing its emission; and detecting the radiation determined from the photocatalytically degradable compounds, where the indicator compound is a metal complex of formula (I). M : a rare earth metal ion; p, r : 0-3; q : 0-5; m, n, o : 1-4; E, T : a bond or 1-3 atoms of C, O, S, N or Se; X1, X2, Xm, Y1, Y2, Yn, Z1, Z2, Zo : C, O, S, N or Se; A1-A3 : neutral or negatively charged atom comprising C, O, S, N or Se; V1, W1 : C, O, S, N or Se; and U1 : 1-5 atoms of C, N, O or Se. Where: the ligands A and B1 has a charge compensating the charge of M. An independent claim is included for a device for determining the activity of a photocatalytic active compound comprising a first radiation source (4), which is arranged on a support for the absorption of photocatalytic active compound (2) contacted with the photocatalytically degradable compound (1), and a detector (5) arranged on the support, where a second radiation source (6) is arranged on the support. [Image].