Assembling hierarchical metal–oxygen building units with a semirigid tetracarboxylate ligand into a three-dimensional framework for nitrobenzene sensing

In this study, a dense three-dimensional framework (compound 1) was elaborately fabricated by the assembly of hierarchical metal–oxygen multicluster structural units, macrocyclic structural units, and infinite chain-like building units with a semirigid tetracarboxylate ligand. The good photoluminescent property endows compound 1 with the ability to selectively detect nitrobenzene.