A series of 3D lanthanide coordination polymers decorated with a rigid 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid linker: syntheses, structural diversity, DFT study, Hirshfeld surface analysis, luminescence and magnetic properties.

Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal the formation of six new coordination polymers (CPs) with the general formulas [Dy(3,5-pdc)(3,5-pdcH)(H2O)2]n·nH2O (1), [Pr2(3,5-pdc)3(H2O)2]n·2n(H2O) (2), [Sm2(3,5-pdc)3(H2O)3]n·nH2O (3), {[Eu2(3,5-pdc)3(H2O)3(CH3CHO)]n·n[2(H2O)(DMF)]} (4), {[Gd2(3,5-pdc)3 (H2O)2]n·2nH2O} (5) and [Er(3,5-pdc)(adip)0.5(H2O)]n (6) (where 3,5-pdc2- = fully deprotonated; 3,5-pdcH- = partially deprotonated 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid; adip2- = fully deprotonated adipic acid; and DMF = dimethylformamide) by solvothermal self-assembly of lanthanide ions with rigid 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid as a linker and adipic acid as an auxiliary flexible spacer (only coordinated in CP 6). CPs 1 and 2 crystallize in the triclinic P1[combining macron] space group, whereas CPs 3, 4 and 6 crystallize in the monoclinic P21/n, P21/c and C2/c space groups, respectively. CP 5 exhibits the trigonal R3 space group. The 3,5-pdc ligand exhibits eight diverse coordination modes in CPs 1-6, whereas the adipic acid spacer in CP 6 shows only one coordination mode (μ4-κO:κO,O:κO:κO,O). The organic ligands interconnect with metal ions to generate 3D metal-organic frameworks with a variety of intriguing topologies. Theoretical studies, DFT calculations and Hirshfeld surface analysis support the structures adopted by the various CPs. CPs 3 (Sm) and 4 (Eu) emit strong ligand-sensitized characteristic f-f luminescence. Weak ferromagnetic interactions have been studied at low temperatures for CP 1 and CP 5.