The Nile Red dye, H(NR), forms cyclometalated R2-disubstituted-acetylacetonato square planar Pd(II) complexes (1–3;
R=CH3,CF3,C6H5respectively) whose photophysical properties were tested in cyclohexane, dichloromethane or methanol solutions. In cyclohexane1–3emit in the range 580–650 nm with a quantum yield ranging from 0.12 (R = CH3) to 0.50 (R = CF3) and
lifetimes between 0.88 and 4.46 ns. These complexes form a new family of notably efficient red emitting organometallic dyes which
could be of interest for practical applications.