A series of three-dimensional (3D) chiral lanthanide coordination polymers generated by spontaneous resolution

Abstract

A series of homochiral lanthanide coordination polymers, [Ln(IDA)(HIDA)]n [Ln = Eu (1), Gd (2), Tb (3), Dy (4); IDA = iminodiacetate; HIDA = N-protonated iminodiacetate] have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1–4 are isostructural three-dimensional (3D) coordination polymers. Spontaneous resolution occurs during crystal growth in the absence of a chiral source, as the enantiomers are obtained and confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and solid-state circular dichroism (CD) measurements. Furthermore, photoluminescence measurements indicate europium compound (1) and terbium compound (3) are red and green emitters, respectively, in the solid state at room temperature.