Four three-dimensional (3D) Cd­(II)/Mn­(II) coordination polymers, namely, {[Mn1.5(TCPB)­(H2O)­(μ2-OH2)]­·H2O} n (1), {[Cd3.5(TCPB)2­(H2O)3­(μ2-OH2)­(μ3-OH)]­·H2O} n (2), [Mn1.5(TCPB)­(bib)0.5­(DMF)] n (3), and {[Cd2(TCPB)­(HCOO)­(bib)­(H2O)]­·0.5dioxane} n (4), have been constructed from the flexible tripodal ligand of 1,3,5-tris­(4-carbonylphenyloxy)­benzene (H3TCPB) with or without the help of bib auxiliary linker (bib = 1,4-bis­(imidazol-1-yl)­benzene). On the basis of the one-dimensional (1D) rod-like {Mn3(COO)8­(μ2-H2O)2} n secondary building units (SBUs), complex 1 displays a 3D (4,8)-connected flu net with the point symbol of {412.612.84}­{46}2. Complex 2 shows a novel 3D 12-connected {312.440.512.62} net based on the 1D {Cd6(COO)12­(μ3-OH)2­(μ2-OH2)2} n SBUs. When the bib bridging ancillary linker was introduced, a trinuclear {Mn3(COO)6} SBU based 2-fold interpenetrated 3D (3,8)-connected {43}2{46.618.84}-tfz-d net for 3, and a binuclear {Cd2(COO)3} SBU based 3D (3,7)-connected {4.62}­{47.614} net with interesting self-penetrating features for 4 were obtained. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibilities of 1 and 3 have been investigated. The results display the antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the adjacent MnII ions of the SBUs in 1 and 3. Fluorescence measurements show 2 and 4 have highly selective and sensitive detection for Cr3+ cations in aqueous solution and nitrobenzene derivatives in DMF.

Based on the tris(p-carboxyphenyl)phosphane oxide ligand, two Cd(ii) CPs were obtained which could highly sense nitrobenzene derivatives and Hg2+ cations.

Based on the tripodal tris(4-carboxyphenyl)phosphane oxide ligand, two lanthanide metal–organic frameworks were obtained, with 1 showing highly selective gas adsorption of CO2/CH4 and 2 exhibiting direct and alternating current magnetic properties.