A Highly Stable Yttrium Organic Framework as a Host for Optical Thermometry and D O Detection.

The yttrium organic framework (Y Tb Eu ) (BDC) (OH) (H O) (BDC=benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate) is hydrothermally stable up to at least 513 K and thermally stable in air in excess of 673 K. The relative intensities of luminescence of Tb and Eu are governed by Tb -to-Eu phonon-assisted energy transfer and Tb -to-ligand back transfer and are responsible for the differing temperature-dependent luminescence of the two ions. This provides a ratiometric luminescent thermometer in the 288-573 K temperature range, not previously seen for MOF materials, with a high sensitivity, 1.69±0.04 % K at 523 K. In aqueous conditions, loosely bound H O can be replaced by D O in the same material, which modifies decay lifetimes to yield a quantitative luminescent D O sensor with a useful sensitivity for practical application.