Two metal-organic zeolites for highly sensitive and selective sensing of Tb3+

Lanthanides have been extensively used as important luminescent materials because of their excellent optical properties. However, the luminescence intensities of Ln(3+) ions from direct excitation are often hindered due to the small absorption coefficient and low luminous efficiency. The "antenna" effect is an effective strategy for sensitizing the luminescence of Ln3+ ions. In this work, two metal-organic zeolites (HNU-25 and HNU-26) were synthesized through a mixed ligand strategy. Both of them can serve as efficient sensors for the Tb3+ ion by sensitizing the characteristic luminescence of the Tb3+ ion. The different responses of sensitization depend on the intramolecular energy transfer between the frameworks and the Ln(3+) ions. These effective behaviors provide an insight into the design and synthesis of chemical sensors for Ln(3+) ions.