A Fluorine-Functionalized Tb(III)–Organic Framework for Ba2+ Detection

The development of lanthanide-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) using for luminescence sensing and selective gas adsorption applications is of great significance from an energy and environmental perspective. This study reports the solvothermal synthesis of a fluorine-functionalized 3D microporous Tb-MOF with a face-centered cubic (<b>fcu</b>) topology constructed from hexanuclear clusters (Tb₆O₃₀) bridged by fdpdc ligands, formulated as {[Tb₆(fdpdc)₆(<i>μ</i>₃-OH)₈(H₂O)₆]·4DMF}_n (<b>1</b>), (fdpdc = 3-fluorobiphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate). Complex <b>1</b> displays a 3D framework with the channel of 7.2 × 7.2 Ų (measured between opposite atoms) perpendicular to the <i>a</i>-axis. With respect to Ba²⁺ cation, the framework of activated <b>1</b> (<b>1a</b>) exhibits high selectivity and reversibility in luminescence sensing function, with an LOD of 4.34665 mM. According to the results of simulations, compared to other small gas molecules (CO₂, N₂, H₂, CO, and CH₄), activated <b>1</b> (<b>1a</b>) shows a high adsorption selectivity for C₂H₂ at 298 K.