Three Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks Based on an Ether-Decorated Polycarboxylic Acid Linker: Luminescence Modulation, CO2 Capture and Conversion Properties

Three new isostructural 3D lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs), {H[LnL(H2O)].2 H2O}(n) (1-Ln) (Ln=Eu3+, Gd3+ and Tb3+), based on infinite lanthanide-carboxylate chains were constructed by employing an ether-separated 5,5 '-oxydiisophthalic acid (H4L) ligand under solvothermal reaction. 1-Eu and 1-Tb exhibit strong red and green emission, respectively, through the antenna effect, as demonstrated through a combination of calculation and experimental results. Moreover, a series of dichromatic doped 1-EuxTby MOFs were fabricated by introducing different concentrations of Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions, and they display an unusual variation of luminescent colors from green, yellow, orange to red. 1-Eu with channels decorated by ether O atoms and the open metal sites displays good performance for CO2 capture and conversion between CO2 and epoxides into cyclic carbonates.