Synthesis, crystal structure and highly sensitive detection property of a fluorescent copper coordination polymer

•We report a facile method for the preparation of Cu-MOFs.•The construction by design of MOFs using bifunctional organic ligands connected through coordination bonds.•The high selectivity and sensitivity of the fluorescence response of MOFs to Fe3+ ions and NB molecules. A new luminescent metal-organic framework [Cu(Hbcb)(PYTPY)] (1) (H3bcb=3,5-bis((5′-carboxylbenzyl)oxy)benzoic acid, PYTPY=4′-(4-pyridyl)-2,2′:6′,2′'-terpyridine) has been successfully synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Analysis revealed that an infinite one-dimensional ladder chain was created by offset face-to-face π-π stacking interactions between H3bcb and PYTPY. And it exhibits a three-dimensional supramolecular structure through the π-π stacking interactions between chains. The thermal stabilities and gas adsorption properties of complex 1 was studied. The experimental results show that complex 1 has good thermal stabilities and selective adsorption properties for CO2. The solid-state luminescent properties of MOFs have been measured carefully by ultraviolet irradiation at room temperature. Most noteworthy, complex 1 exhibits a high sensitivity for Fe3+ and nitrobenzene in ethanol solution with mixed metal ions and aromatic compounds, which makes it be a promising crystalline material as luminescent probe to Fe3+ and nitrobenzene. Importantly, complex 1 can keep its original framework and be reused in sensing experiments. The sensing mechanism has also been studied in detail. A new luminescent metal-organic framework [Cu(Hbcb)(PYTPY)] (1) (H3bcb=3,5-bis((5′-carboxylbenzyl)oxy)benzoic acid, PYTPY=4′-(4-pyridyl)-2,2′:6′,2′'-terpyridine) has been successfully synthesized. And it exhibits a three-dimensional supramolecular structure through the π-π stacking interactions between chains. The experimental results show that complex 1 has good thermal stabilities and selective adsorption properties for CO2. Most noteworthy, complex 1 exhibiting a high sensitivity for Fe3+ and nitrobenzene in ethanol solution with mixed metal ions and aromatic compounds, which make it be a promising crystalline material as luminescent probe to Fe3+ and nitrobenzene. [Display omitted]