Abstract: The fluorescence spectra of naphthalene end-labelled polyethylene glycol)(N-P_nN) in methanol solution in the presence of europium cation(Ⅲ) was investigated. Selective excitation of the naphthalene group of N-P_n-N re-sults in the emission of europium cation. suggesting that the polyether chain complexes with europium cation, thus efficient energy transfer from naphthalene chromophore to europium cation occurs. Photoirradiation of N-P-N in solution leads to intramolecular dimerization of the two terminal naphthalene groups to give a crown ether. The complexation of this photochemically synthesized crown ether and europium cation was also studied.

Key words: complexation, polyether, europium, energy transfer