Supramolecular Organization of Eu(TTA)3(H2O)2-Containing Mesogens Based on Oligoethylene Oxide: Luminescence and Rheological Properties

Abstract Lyotropic liquid crystalline templates are promising universal carriers in biomedicine. Their functionalization with luminescent lanthanide complexes enables the creation of hybrid systems for theranostic applications. In the present work, polyfunctional hybrid systems based on the lyotropic liquid crystal C12EO4/H2O/C10H21OH with varying contents of the europium complex Eu(TTA)3(H2O)2 have been obtained. The optimal content of the europium complex in the LLC composition as a phosphor has been determined to be 0.05 wt %. Polarized microscopy studies have revealed that all lanthanide-containing samples are characterized by a lamellar mesophase. An increase in the phase transition temperature by 3–10°C compared to the base system has been established. The rheological behavior of the composites corresponds to a pseudoplastic flow type with a yield stress and is well described by the Casson model. Thus, it has been shown that these systems can be used for transdermal drug delivery.