A bi-functional luminescent Zn(II)-MOF for detection of nitroaromatic explosives and Fe3+ ions

A luminescent Zn(II) metal-organic framework (MOF), [Zn-3(L)(2)(bipy)(mu(3)-OH)(2)]center dot 3H(2)O (1) (bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine, H2L = 9H-carbazolyl-3,6-dicarboxylic acid) was obtained by the reaction of a rigid ligand H2L and Zn(II) ions. Compound 1 possesses an interesting 3D network with [Zn-9(mu(3)-OH)(6)(CO2)(12)] units as eighteen-connected nodes. Particularly, 1 shows highly sensitive response to nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) and Fe3+ ions through fluorescence quenching. At the same time, 1 can be easily recycled by washing with N, N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) or distilled water after sensing studies, indicating that it can be reused easily. Furthermore, the possible detection mechanisms have also been discussed. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.