Effect of secondary bis-pyridine-bis-amide ligand on the construction of Zn-based coordination polymers and the enhancement of ultrasensitive luminescent sensing properties

Abstract

The design of luminescent coordination polymers (LCPs) as sensors for the detection of molecules and ions constitutes an active area of research. Through the introduction of a secondary bis-pyridine-bis-amide ligand, two 3D unique LCPs [Zn(H2bpta)] (1) and [Zn(3-bpcha)(bpta)0.5]·H2O (2), where 3-bpcha denotes N,N′-bis(3-pyridyl)cycloheximide and H4bpta represents 2,2′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid, were successfully synthesized via the hydrothermal method. Both of these LCPs were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, and powder X-ray diffraction patterns, which reveal that these LCPs possess two different 3D frameworks. Furthermore, a series of luminescence recognition tests proved that 1 and 2 can act as potential sensing materials for the detection of Fe3+ ions and nitro compounds in aqueous environments.