4-(4-Carboxyphenoxy)phthalate-based coordination polymers and their application in sensing nitrobenzene

Under hydro(solvo)thermal conditions, two 4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phthalate-based three-dimensional (3-D) coordination polymers: [Cd-3(cpph)(2)(bpa)(2)(H2O)]center dot 0.5H(2)O (cpph = 4-(4-carboxyphenoxy) phthalate, bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane) 1, and [H-2(bpp)][Mn-2(cpph)(2)(H2O)(2)] (bpp = 1,2-bis(4-piperidyl) propane) 2 were isolated. In both compounds, the cpph molecules extend the metal ions into a 3-D network: a (4,6)-connected net for 1 and a simple 6-connected net with a pcu topology for 2. The introduced bpa or bpp molecule stabilizes the 3-D metal-cpph architecture in the form of linker or guest molecule. The sensing ability of 1 was investigated, revealing that it can be used as a fluorescence probe to sense nitrobenzene at ppm concentrations.