Two luminescent metal − organic frameworks constructed by unsymmetric tricarboxylate

Two metal–organic frameworks, Zn(Hbpt)(bpp) (1), [Cd(Hbpt)(bpp)(H2O)] (2), (H3bpt = biphenyl-3,4′,5-tricarboxylate, bpp = 1,3-bi(4-pyridyl)propane), have been solvothermally synthesized from unsymmetric tricarboxylate and nitrogen containing ligands, and characterized by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffractions, FTIR, and TGA. Single-crystal X-ray structural analyses show that 1 possesses a 2D grid layer consisting of Zn ions bridged by bpp ligands and partly deprotonated Hbpt2 − ligands, which is extended via hydrogen bonds to a two-fold interpenetrated framework. 2 contains 1D ladder-like chains, which are further linked by hydrogen bonds into the 3D supramolecular architecture. Furthermore, photoluminescence studies revealed that these coordination polymers display intense violet emission in the solid state at room temperature.