Solvent- and Temperature-Driven Photoluminescence Modulation in Porous Hofmann-Type Sr-Re Metal-Organic Frameworks.

A unique family of three-dimensional (3D) luminescent Sr-Re metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), {[Sr(MeOH)][Re(CN)(N)(bpen)]·MeOH} [; N = nitrido ligand, bpen = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, and MeOH = methanol], {[Sr(MeOH)][Re(CN)(N)(bpee)]·2MeOH} [; bpee = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene], and {[Sr(bpy)(MeOH)][Re(CN)(N)(bpy)]} (; bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine), is reported. They are obtained by the molecular self-assembly of Sr ions with tetracyanidonitridorhenate(V) metalloligands, [Re(CN)(N)], and pyridine-based organic spacers (L = bpen, bpee, bpy). Such a combination of molecular precursors results in bimetallic Sr-Re cyanido-bridged layers further bonded by organic ligands into pillared Hofmann-type coordination skeletons. Because of the formation of {Re-(L)-Re} moieties providing emissive metal-to-ligand charge-transfer states, - exhibit solid-state room-temperature photoluminescence tunable from green to orange by the applied organic ligand. The most stable MOF of , based on the alternating {Re-(bpy)-Re} and {Sr-(bpy)-Sr} linkages, exhibits three interconvertible, variously solvated phases, methanol-solvated , hydrated {[Sr(bpy)(HO)][Re(CN)(N)(bpy)]·0.6HO} (), and desolvated {[Sr(bpy)][Re(CN)(N)(bpy)]} (). Their formation was correlated with water and methanol vapor sorption properties investigated for . The solvent content affects the luminescence mainly by tuning the emission energy within the series of , , and . All of the obtained compounds exhibit temperature-driven modulation of luminescence, including the shift of the emission maximum and lifetime. The thermochromic luminescent response was found to be sensitive to the presence and type of solvent in the crystal lattice. This work shows that the construction of [Re(CN)(N)]-based MOFs is an efficient route toward advanced solid luminophores tunable by external stimuli such as solvent or temperature.