Chain-like uranyl-coordination polymer as a bright green light emitter for sensing and sunlight driven photocatalysis

GOMEZ, GERMÁN ERNESTO; BARJA, BEATRIZ C.; SOLER-ILLIA, GALO JUAN DE AVILA ARTURO; ONNA, DIEGO; ELLENA, JAVIER A; D'VRIES, RICHARD FERNANDO; NARDA, GRISELDA

Journal of Materials Chemistry C

Royal Society of Chemistry

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2020 p. 11102 - 11109

2050-7526

A new uranyl-organic framework (UOF) has been designed and solvothermally synthesized employing succinic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) as ligands. The obtained compound with formula [U2(phen)(succ)0.5(OH)(O)4(μ3-O)(H2O)]∙H2O (UNSL-1), is classified as 1D chains showing I0O1 connectivity. Also, the asymmetric unit is composed by two hepta-coordinated uranyl centers: U1 surrounded by five oxygens from succinate, meanwhile U2 surrounded by two nitrogen atoms from phen and three oxygen atoms from succinate ([U1O7] and [U2N2O5]). The Secondary-Building Unit (SBU) is composed by a sharing edge tetrameric cluster linked by succinate ligand in the [-1 0 1] direction. Besides, the chains are reinforced by π-π stacking interactions from between the aromatic rings of phen molecules to conform a 2D supramolecular arrangement. Moreover, photoluminescence experiments show strong green emission consistent with uranyl crystalline materials. The photophysical characterization was completed by low-temperature measurements (77 K) and recording the decay emission for calculating the lifetime (obs) value. Regarding its multifunctional properties, a cation-sensing performance was achieved founding selective quenching toward iron ions in aqueous media. Finally, UNSL-1 was tested as an efficient water photocatalyst of dye degradation under simulated sunlight irradiation, exhibiting promising results for organic-pollutant water remediation.