Multifunctional 1D lanthanide-based coordination polymers exhibiting single-chain magnets and fluorescence detection

Abstract

Given the extensive applications of lanthanide-based materials in optics, electricity, magnetism, biomedicine, and other fields, the strategic development of multifunctional lanthanide-based molecular materials through meticulous design of organic ligands and rational selection of Ln3+ ions with distinct characteristics holds significant importance. In this work, a series of 1D chain lanthanide-based polymers {Ln(L)3(H2O)2}n (Ln = Eu for 1, Gd for 2, Tb for 3, Dy for 4) were successfully synthesized by using monomethyl isophthalate (HL) to control the hydrolysis of Ln3+ ions. Magnetic results revealed a weak paramagnetic interaction in 2, an antiferromagnetic coupling in 3, and an intriguing single-chain magnets behavior in 4. Compound 4 characterized an effective energy barrier of 38.08 K without a direct current field. Additionally, compounds 1, 3 and 4 exhibited photoluminescence behaviors, and the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 1 was as high as 56 %. Compound 3 exhibited efficient detection of acetylacetone (acac) and nitroarenes through luminescence quenching, achieving the low limits of detection (LOD) of 0.068 μM for acac, 0.142 μM for Nitrobenzene, 0.260 μM for 4-Chloronitrobenzene and 0.276 μM for p-Nitrobenzoic acid. This study successfully prepared multifunctional lanthanide polymers, incorporating magnetic, optical, and sensing properties, by precisely controlling the hydrolysis of Ln3+ ions using organic ligands. These findings not only enrich the repertoire of multifunctional lanthanide-based materials but also broaden their applications in diverse domains.