A new coordination polymer of formula [Cd-(C 8 N 2 O 3 H 7 ) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] n , 1, has been synthesized via the hydrothermal method using a bioinspired ligand, N-nicotinoylglycinate. The compound was characterized by SCXRD, PXRD, FTIR spectra, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Single-crystal Xray diffraction reveals the connectivity between Cd 2+ ions and Nnicotinoylglycinate layers in nature, and the layers are arranged in an ABAB.... fashion to give a three-dimensional packing arrangement stabilized by interlayer N−H•••O and O−H•••O hydrogen bonds and π•••π interactions.An aqueous dispersion of compound 1 exhibits strong emission centered at 420 nm after excitation at 280 nm. This emission has been used for the selective sensing of pxylene over other related electron-rich C 8 aromatic isomers based on luminescence turn-on. The calculated value of the limit of detection (LOD) was 84.55 ppb, which is far lower than the safe limit of p-xylene (300 ppb in water). This compound also shows pH-dependent luminescence properties and stability in a wide range of pH (1−14). In both cases (p-xylene detection and pH dependence), time-resolved studies were used to determine the excited-state lifetime and understand the mechanism of luminescence behavior in the presence of analytes. Density functional theory (DFT)-based computational studies were also carried out to understand the selectivity of detection of p-xylene over the other isomers. Schottky diodes fabricated using this material (CP) showed ideal diode-like behavior at a low voltage regime.

Two new metal cluster (Ni 4 and Co 2 Ni 2 ) based rod shaped micron sized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) of formulas(compound-2), {OBA = 4,4'-Oxybis(benzoate)} are synthesized via solvothermal technique. Structural, morphological and magnetic properties of both the compounds are characterized using x-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and DC magnetization measurements. The homogeneous presence of Co and Ni with a molar ratio of ~1 : 1 in compound-2 is confirmed by EDX elemental mapping analysis. Magnetic measurements reveal that both the compounds are magnetically frustrated due to competing antiferromagnetic (AFM) and ferromagnetic (FM) interactions.Compound-1 has dominant FM while compound-2 has dominant AFM interactions. At low temperatures, magnetic longrange-order sets in, which is identified to be canted FM and canted AFM type for compound-1 and 2, respectively. Below the ordering temperature, multiple magnetic transitions including spin-glass transitions are detected, which can be ascribed to the effect of strong frustration in both the compounds.