This critical review deals with the chemistry and applications of metal alkanoates with medium size (C₅ to C₁₂) carbon chain length. A particular emphasis is given to metal 2-ethylhexanoates, which find wide applications as metal–organic precursors in materials science, as catalysts for ring opening polymerizations and also in painting industries for their properties as driers. After a brief introduction and an overview of synthesis, structural and physico-chemical properties, this article discuses extensively the applications of these compounds in materials science. Finally, it identifies and signifies the areas for future research in the looking ahead section. The aim of this review is to bridge the areas of precursor's chemistry and materials science by providing a reference text for researchers working either in or at the interface of these two areas (125 references).

First heterometal–organic single source precursors for NaYF₄ nanomaterials as a host matrix for up-conversion emission are reported. These novel heterobimetallic derivatives NaY(TFA)₄(diglyme) (1), [Na(triglyme)₂][Y₂(TFA)₇(THF)₂] (2) and Na₂Y(TFA)₅(tetraglyme) (3) (TFA = trifluoroacetate), which were fully characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, TG-DTA data as well as single crystal X-ray structures, are advantageous in terms of being anhydrous and having lower decomposition temperatures in comparison to the homometallic precursor Y(TFA)₃(H₂O)₃. In addition, they also contain chelating glyme ligands, which act as capping reagents during decomposition to control the NaYF₄ particle size and render them monodisperse in organic solvents. On decomposition in 1-octadecene, the molecular derivatives 1 and 3 are converted, in the absence of any surfactant or capping reagent, to cubic NaYF₄ nanocrystals at significantly lower temperatures (below 250 °C). At higher temperature, a mixture of the cubic and hexagonal phases was obtained, the relative ratio of the two phases depending on the reaction temperature. A pure hexagonal phase, which is many folds more efficient for UC emission than the cubic phase, was obtained by calcining nanocrystals of mixed phase at 400 °C. In order to co-dope this host matrix with up-converting lanthanide cations, analogous complexes NaLn(TFA)₄(diglyme) [Ln = Er (4), Tm (5), Yb (6)] and Na₂Ln(TFA)₅(tetraglyme) [Ln = Er (7), Yb (8)] were also prepared and characterized. The decomposition in 1-octadecene of suitable combinations and appropriate molar ratios of these yttrium, ytterbium and erbium/thulium derivatives gave cubic and/or hexagonal NaYF₄ : Yb³⁺, Er³⁺/Tm³⁺ nanocrystals (NCs) capped by diglyme or tetraglyme ligands, which were characterized by IR, TG-DTA data, EDX analysis and TEM studies. Surface modification of these NCs by ligand exchange reactions with poly acrylic acid (PAA) and polyethyleneglycol (PEG) diacid 600 was also carried out to render them water soluble. The THF solutions of suitable combinations of the diglyme derivatives were also used to elaborate the thin films of NaYF₄ :Yb³⁺, Er³⁺/Tm³⁺ on a glass or Si wafer substrate by spin coating. The multicolour up-conversion fluorescence was successfully realized in the Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ (green/red) and Yb³⁺/Tm³⁺ (blue/violet) co-doped NaYF₄ nanoparticles and thin films, which demonstrates that they are promising UC nanophosphors of immense practical interest. The up-conversion excitation pathways for the Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ and Tm³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped materials are discussed.