Zn(OOCH)2(4,4′-bipyridine)]n: A metal-organic-framework (MOF) with x-ray-induced photochromic behaviour at room temperature

Abstract

Materials that may show photochromism under X-rays have higher spatial resolution for visual low-energy X-rays detection over the commercial instruments and greater X-ray sensitivity than silver salt-based radiographic films. In this work, we discovered that the known MOF, [Zn(OOCH)2(Bpy)]n (Bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine), showed rare photochromic behaviour upon irradiation of hard and soft X-rays at room temperature.