Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks as Luminescent Sensor for Toluene

Two new series of lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (LnMOFs) are successfully obtained via a solvothermal reaction, based on the corresponding lanthanide(III) nitrates and the ligand of methylmalonic acid (MMA). Where 1a–1c are synthesized by Ln(NO3)3 (Ln3+ = Eu, 1a; Gd, 1b; Tb, 1c) and MMA, 2a and 2b are obtained with Ln(NO3)3 (Ln3+ = Eu, 2a; Tb, 2b), MAA, and in the presence of capping agent 1,10-phenanthroline (phen). The five new compounds were structurally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, PXRD, TGA and luminescence. Furthermore, the sensing property reveals that 1a is a luminescent sensor for toxic solvent of toluene.