Structural and optical properties of metal-organic frameworks of lanthanides

Abstract

In this work, the synthesis of luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LnMOF) was studied at room temperature using different lanthanides ions as metal centers. LnMOFs are materials that can emit light by absorbing energy from other radiation and have been used mainly as sensors in medicine, optics, electronics, and the chemical industry. The synthesis was carried out by stirring at room temperature and with a stoichiometry of 1:1, using trimesic acid as an organic linker. Structural characterization of these materials was carried out using DRX, FT-IR, and SEM. Synthesis of isoreticular MOFs with Eu, Tb, Dy, Nd, and Er with crystal sizes between 24- 64 nm was possible. Regarding the optical properties, these were determined by photoluminescence spectroscopy. The MOFs that presented intense emission and excitation bands were those of Eu, Tb, and Dy, being the most intense of Tb. With the results obtained, it is possible to obtain 3D luminescent MOFs using a simple and easy methodology, which does not involve highfrequency processes such as ultrasound or microwaves, or post-synthesis procedures, which are very frequent and considerably increase the synthesis time or the expense of solvents for material washings but above all a high energy consumption