Observation of tancoite-like chains in a one-dimensional metal organic polymer

A hydrothermal reaction of diphenic acid, NaOH, water and the corresponding lanthanide salt at a pH of similar to5.5 gives rise to a new one-dimensional metal-organic coordination polymer, (1)(proportional to)[M-2(H2O)(2)(C14H8O4)(3)] (M = Nd, Dy or Y). The structure is built up from a network of distorted dodecahedral MO8 units and the diphenate anions. The M atoms are connected through an oxygen atom, giving rise to tancoite-like chains, to which the diphenate anions are grafted completing the one-dimensional structure. Magnetic studies indicate only paramagnetic behavior in the temperature range 4-300 K for M = Dy. The compounds exhibit photoluminescence at room temperature with the main emission band at 450 nm (lambda(ex) = 338 nm).