A Series of Lanthanide Coordination Polymers as Luminescent Sensors for Selective Detection of Inorganic Ions and Nitrobenzene.

Seven new lanthanide coordination polymers, namely [Ln(cpt)HO)]n(Ln = La (), Pr (), Sm (), Eu (), Gd (), Dy (), and Er ()), which were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions using 4'-(4-(4-carboxyphenyloxy)phenyl)-4,2':6',4'-tripyridine (Hcpt) as the ligand. The crystal structures of these seven complexes were determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and they were found to be isostructural, crystallizing in the triclinic P1- space group. The Ln(III) ions were nine-coordinated with tricapped trigonal prism coordination geometry. The Ln(III) cations were coordinated by carboxylic and pyridine groups from (cpt) ligands, forming one-dimensional ring-chain structures. Furthermore, the luminescent properties of complexes - were investigated using fluorescent spectra in the solid state. The fluorescence sensing experiments demonstrated that complex exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity for detecting Co, Cu ions, and nitrobenzene. Moreover, complex shows good capability for detecting Cu ions and nitrobenzene. Additionally, the sensing mechanism was also thoroughly examined through theoretical calculations.