Synthesis and luminescent properties of heteroleptic benzothiazolyl–naphtholates of ytterbium

[Display omitted] •We synthesized heteroleptic complexes of Yb with benzothiazolyl–naphtholate ligand.•The obtained compounds exhibit bright metal-centered NIR luminescence.•To describe PL and EL data an intramolecular electron transfer was considered. Photoluminescent (PL) and electroluminescent (EL) properties of heteroleptic complexes of Yb3+ containing the 3-(2-benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-naphtholate (L), 8-oxyquinolate (Q), pentafluorophenolate (OC6F5), or cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ligands were studied. All the complexes revealed NIR emission of Yb3+ ion of different intensity. The obtained data indirectly confirm the fact that the excitation of the ytterbium in naphtholate complexes proceeds due to intramolecular reduction–oxidation mechanism.