Based on the newly designed ligand 4'-(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)-4,2':6',4''-terpyridine (DCTP), a unique semi-conductive 3D framework {[Cu(Ι)Cu(ΙΙ)2(DCTP)2]NO3⋅1.5 DMF}n (1) with a narrow band gap of 2.1 eV, was obtained and structurally characterized. DFT calculations with van de Waals correction employed to explore the electronic structure of 1, clearly revealed its semi-conductive behavior. Furthermore, we found that 1 exhibits a superior band alignment with water to produce hydrogen and degrade organic pollutants. Without adding any photosensitizers, 1 displays an efficiently photocatalytic hydrogen production in water based on the photo-generated electrons under UV/Vis light. 1 also exhibits excellent photo-degradation of methyl blue under visible-light owing to the strong oxidization of excited holes. It is the first example of MOFs with doubly photocatalytic activities related to photo-generated electrons and holes, respectively.

Through hydrothermal reactions with corresponding lanthanide nitrates and 4-(4-carboxyphenylsulfonyloxy)-3-metnoxybenzoic acid (H2vspc), seven novel three-dimensional (3D) lanthanide-organic frameworks ([Ln(vspc)(Hvspc)(H2O)]n [Ln = Pr (1), Eu (2), Gd (3), Tb (4), Dy (5), Ho (6) and Er (7)]) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. All of them are isostructural and crystallize in the monoclinic crystal system, P21/c space group. Their structures feature a (3,6)-connected topological network, in which Ln(3+) were connected by carboxylate groups to give a 1D lanthanide chain, and the adjacent chains are further spanned by vspc(2-) and Hvspc(-) anions to form a 3D framework. The luminescent properties and lifetimes of 2 (Eu(III)), 4 (Tb(III)), and 5 (Dy(III)) have been studied, and the corresponding luminescent lifetimes are 0.53, 0.99 and 0.014 ms, respectively. The magnetic investigations reveal that compound displays weak antiferromagnet interaction, 4 and 5 exhibit ferromagnetic coupling, and compound 5 exhibits slow magnetic relaxation behavior.

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Two 3D solvent-stable zinc(ii)-lanthanide(iii) heterometallic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) {[(CH)NH][ZnLn(FDA)(DMF)]·2DMF} [Ln = Eu (Zn-Eu) and Tb (Zn-Tb); HFDA = furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid] based on ZnLn(COO) tetrametallic clusters and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid have been successfully synthesized. These MOFs can serve as luminescent sensors for the fast response and highly selective detection of aniline via luminescence quenching. More importantly, a linear correlation is observed between their luminescence and the low concentration of aniline and the detection limits of aniline are 7.5 μmol L for Zn-Eu and 5.2 μmol L for Zn-Tb.

An unusual 3D homospin cobalt(II) molecular topological ferrimagnet has been successfully assembled using a mixed ligand approach, which shows a critical temperature of 9 K and a compensation temperature of 5 K.