A luminescent ytterbium(III)-organic framework for highly selective sensing of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol

An ytterbium(III)-organic framework, [Yb-4(abtc)(3)(HCOO) (H2O)]center dot(C2H8N) (H2O) (UPC-22, H(4)abtc = 3,3',5,5'-azobenzene-tetracarboxylic acid) was synthesized under solvothermal conditions and characterized. UPC-22 exhibited strong H(4)abtc-based luminescence and can be used for sensing nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) in an ethanol suspension with outstanding selectivity and sensitivity. The most striking property of UPC-22 is its ability to selectively detect 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP), thereby rendering it a promising TNPselective luminescence probe.