Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with multiple emission centers are newly emerging as ratiometric sensors owing to their high sensitivity and high selectivity toward a wide range of targeted functional species. Energy transfer between the light‐absorbing group and emission centers and between different emission centers is the key to rationally design and synthesize MOF‐based ratiometric sensors. A good match between the energy levels of the light‐absorbing groups and emission centers is the prerequisite for MOF‐based sensors to exhibit multiple emissions, and a good match of the MOF‐based sensors and those of the targeted species can increase the sensitivity and selectivity, but this match is highly challenging to obtain via synthesis. MOFs with multiple emission centers can be produced by functionalizing MOFs with multiple lanthanide centers, organic luminophores, dyes, carbon dots, and other such emissive groups. In this progress report, recent advances in the strategies for synthesizing MOFs with multiple emission centers and their applications for ratiometric sensing of solution conditions, including the pH value, and ion, organic molecule, and biomolecule concentrations, are summarized, as are the related sensing mechanisms.

Serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine, HT), a neurotransmitter, and its main metabolite 5‐hydroxyindole‐3‐acetic acid (HIAA) are biomarkers for carcinoid tumors. They can be quantitatively detected by a new luminescent sensor based on a water stable lanthanide metal–organic framework (Ln‐MOF). This Ln‐MOF features a (3,4)‐connected topology containing 1D channels occupied by lattice water molecules. Luminescent studies reveal that high luminescence quenching efficiency occurs upon the addition of HT and HIAA. The Ln‐MOF also displays excellent sensitivity with fast response within 1 min, good reusability, and detection limits as low as 0.66 and 0.54 × 10−6m for HT and HIAA, respectively. In addition, the sensing function exhibits excellent selectivity even in the presence of other neurotransmitters and the main coexisting species in blood plasma and urine.

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Multitopic organic linkers can provide a means to organize metal cluster nodes in a regular three‐dimensional array. Herein, we show that isonicotinic acid N‐oxide (HINO) serves as the linker in the formation of a metal–organic framework featuring Dy2 single‐molecule magnets as nodes. Importantly, guest solvent exchange induces a reversible single‐crystal to single‐crystal transformation between the phases Dy2(INO)4(NO3)2⋅2 solvent (solvent=DMF (Dy2‐DMF), CH3CN (Dy2‐CH3CN)), thereby switching the effective magnetic relaxation barrier (determined by ac magnetic susceptibility measurements) between a negligible value for Dy2‐DMF and 76 cm−1 for Dy2‐CH3CN. Ab initio calculations indicate that this difference arises not from a significant change in the intrinsic relaxation barrier of the Dy2 nodes, but rather from a slowing of the relaxation rate of incoherent quantum tunneling of the magnetization by two orders of magnitude.

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) and single-chain magnets (SCMs), also known as molecular nanomagnets, are molecular species of nanoscale proportions with the potential for high information storage density and spintronics applications. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are three-dimensional ordered assemblies of inorganic nodes and organic linkers, featuring structural diversity and multiple chemical and physical properties. The concept of using these frameworks as scaffolds in the study of molecular nanomagnets provides an opportunity to constrain the local coordination geometries of lanthanide centers and organize the individual magnetic building blocks (MBBs, including both transition-metal and lanthanide MBBs) into topologically well-defined arrays that represent two key factors governing the magnetic properties of molecular nanomagnets. In this tutorial review, we summarize recent progress in this newly emerging field.

Ni-doped MOF-5s were successfully synthesized for the first time via solvothermal crystallization process to enhance the hydrostability. Several characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy instrument (EDS), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), infrared spectroscopy (IR), atomic sorption, diffuse-reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy, and gas sorption measurement, strongly support the effective incorporation of Ni(II) ions into the framework. The results demonstrated that the Ni-doped MOF-5s not only exhibit larger Langmuir specific surface areas and larger pores than the undoped MOF-5, but also significantly enhance water resistance of the framework. The H(2) uptake capacity of undoped MOF-5 drops rapidly when exposed to the ambient air, whereas the H(2) adsorptions of the Ni-doped MOF-5s remain stable for 4 days.

The efficient removal of alkyne impurities for the production of polymer-grade lower olefins remains an important and challenging goal for many industries. We report a strategy to control the pore interior of faujasite (FAU) zeolites by the confinement of isolated open nickel(II) sites in their six-membered rings. Under ambient conditions, Ni@FAU showed remarkable adsorption of alkynes and efficient separations of acetylene/ethylene, propyne/propylene, and butyne/1,3-butadiene mixtures, with unprecedented dynamic separation selectivities of 100, 92, and 83, respectively. In situ neutron diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering revealed that confined nickel(II) sites enabled chemoselective and reversible binding to acetylene through the formation of metastable [Ni(II)(C2H2)3] complexes. Control of the chemistry of pore interiors of easily scalable zeolites has unlocked their potential in challenging industrial separations.

A new bimetallic lanthanide metal-organic framework [Eu0.5 Tb1.5 (FDA)3 ] (H2 FDA = 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid) exhibits high-sensitivity luminescent sensing of mixtures of organic compounds and can work over a large range of volume ratios. The self-calibrating behavior of this color-gradient luminescent sensor is presented for the first time.