Metal-organic porous materials are receiving growing attention [1] because of their potential applications in gas storage, [2] separation, [3] and many other areas. [4] Although catalysis is one of the most promising applications of such materials, only a handful of examples have been reported to date. [5] Furthermore, despite considerable efforts, attempts to synthesize robust, homochiral metal-organic porous materials capable of enantioselective separation and/or catalysis have met with only limited success. [6,7] Most homochiral metalorganic frameworks are not robust enough to show permanent porosity, nor porous enough to be useful for selective sorption or catalytic transformation of organic molecules. Therefore, the synthesis of robust homochiral metal-organic frameworks with potential for application is still challenging. For the synthesis of homochiral metal-organic open frameworks, two general approaches have been taken: 1) use of a rigid homochiral organic ligand as a spacer to link adjacent metal centers or secondary building units (SBUs), [5b-d, 7] and 2) use of a homochiral ligand as an auxiliary pendant which does not directly participate in the formation of a framework backbone, but forces the framework to adopt a specific chiral topology.[3d] Herein, we introduce another rational approach to the synthesis of homochiral metal-organic frameworks. A metal ion and a readily available homochiral organic ligand are used to form homochiral SBUs, which in turn, are linked together by rigid spacers to build a network structure, in a one-pot reaction (Scheme 1).[8] With a judicious choice of metal ion, homochiral organic molecule, and rigid polytopic linker (that is, a connector with more than one metal coordination site), this approach allows us to synthesize metal-organic open frameworks with stable chiral pores. Herein, we report a new homochiral metal-organic material that has permanent porosity, size-and enantioselective sorption properties, and catalytic activity.[9]
Solvothermal reaction of 5,5′‐(pyridine‐2,6‐diylbis(oxy))diisophthalic acid (H4L) with europium(III) or terbium(III) nitrates in acetonitrile‐water (1 : 1) at 120 °C gave rise to isostructural 2D coordination polymers, [Ln(HL)(H2O)3]∞ (NIIC‐1‐Eu and NIIC‐1‐Tb), the layers of which are composed by eight‐coordinated lanthanide(III) ions interconnected by triply deprotonated ligands HL3−. The layers are packed in the crystal without any specific intermolecular interactions between them, allowing the facile preparation of stable water suspensions, in which NIIC‐1‐Tb exhibited top‐performing sensing properties through luminescence quenching effect with exceptionally low detection limits towards Fe3+ (LOD 8.62 nM), ofloxacin (OFX) antibiotic (LOD 3.91 nM) and cotton phytotoxicant gossypol (LOD 2.27 nM). In addition to low detection limit and high selectivity, NIIC‐1‐Tb features fast sensing response (within 60–90 seconds), making it superior to other MOF‐based sensors for metal cations and organic toxicants. The photoluminescence quantum yield of NIIC‐1‐Tb was 93 %, one of the highest among lanthanide MOFs. Mixed‐metal coordination polymers NIIC‐1‐EuxTb1−x demonstrated efficient photoluminescence, the color of which could be modulated by the excitation wavelength and time delay for emission monitoring (within 1 millisecond). Furthermore, an original 2D QR‐coding scheme was designed for anti‐counterfeiting labeling of goods based on unique and tunable emission spectra of NIIC‐1‐Ln coordination polymers.
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