Functionalization of Microporous Lanthanide-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks by Dicarboxylate Ligands with Methyl-Substituted Thieno[2,3-b]thiophene Groups: Sensing Activities and Magnetic Properties.

From a methyl-substituted thieno[2,3-b]thiophene dicarboxylate, three types of three-dimensional (3-D) microporous lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks, {[Ln(DMTDC)1.5(H2O)2]·DEF}n (type I, Ln = Eu 1, Tb 2), {[Ln(DMTDC)1.5(H2O)2]·0.5DMF·0.5H2O}n (type II, Ln = Gd 3, Dy 4, Er 5), and {[Ln4(DMTDC)6(DMF)2]·0.5DMF·1.5H2O}n (type III, Ln = Er 6) (H2DMTDC = 3,4-dimethylthieno[2,3-b]thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, DEF = N,N'-diethylformamide, DMF = N,N'-dimethylformamide), have been solventhermally synthesized. Types I and II are isostructural, which exhibit 1-D triangular channels constructed by double-stranded rod-shaped {Ln(CO2)2}n chains. Type III demonstrates an intriguing framework with triple-stranded rod-shaped {Ln(CO2)3}n chains arranged along the (1,1,0) and (1,-1,0) axes and possesses two kinds of triangular channels along two axes, respectively. Immobilization of the Lewis basic sites of thiophene groups induced gas adsorption and sensing properties into these microporous frameworks. Complexes 5(Er) and 6(Er) display moderate adsorption properties toward N2 and CO2, and the Qst of CO2 are as high as 36.3 and 34.8 kJ mol(-1), respectively. Complexes 1(Eu) and 2(Tb) exhibit sensing properties toward nitrobenzene, acetone, and the Cu(2+) ion in both DMF and aqueous solution. Complex 3(Gd) shows a significant magnetocaloric effect with ΔSm = 24.3 J·kg(-1)·K(-1) at 3.0 K and 7 T. Complex 4(Dy) exhibits slow magnetic relaxation with the energy barrier Δ/kB of 48.29 K.