Noncentrosymmetric Lanthanide-Based MOF Materials Exhibiting Strong SHG Activity and NIR Luminescence of Er3+: Application in Nonlinear Optical Thermometry

Photochromic Ln-MOFs: A Platform for Metal-Photoswitch Cooperativity

Optoelectronic devices based on lanthanide-containing materials are an emergent area of research due to imminent interest in a new generation of diode materials, optical and magnetic sensors, and ratiometric thermometers. Tailoring material properties through the employment of photo- or thermochromic moieties is a powerful approach that requires a deep fundamental understanding of possible cooperativity between lanthanide-based metal centers and integrated switchable units. In this work, we probe this concept through the synthesis, structural analysis, and spectroscopic characterization of novel photochromic lanthanide-based metal-organic materials containing noncoordinatively integrated photoresponsive 4,4'-azopyridine between lanthanide-based metal centers. As a result, a photophysical material response tailored on demand through the incorporation of photochromic compounds within a rigid matrix was investigated. The comprehensive analysis of photoresponsive metal-organic materials includes single-crystal X-ray diffraction and diffuse reflectance spectroscopic studies that provide guiding principles necessary for understanding photochromic unit-lanthanide-based metal-organic framework (MOF) cooperativity. Furthermore, steady-state and time-resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopic studies revealed a rapid rate of photoresponsive moiety attenuation upon its integration within the rigid matrix of lanthanide-based MOFs in comparison with that in solution, highlighting a unique role and synergy that occurred between stimuli-responsive moieties and the lanthanide-based MOF platform, allowing for tunability and control of material photoisomerization kinetics.

Optical Phenomena in Molecule-Based Magnetic Materials

Since the last century, we have witnessed the development of molecular magnetism which deals with magnetic materials based on molecular species, i.e., organic radicals and metal complexes. Among them, the broadest attention was devoted to molecule-based ferro-/ferrimagnets, spin transition materials, including those exploring electron transfer, molecular nanomagnets, such as single-molecule magnets (SMMs), molecular qubits, and stimuli-responsive magnetic materials. Their physical properties open the application horizons in sensors, data storage, spintronics, and quantum computation. It was found that various optical phenomena, such as thermochromism, photoswitching of magnetic and optical characteristics, luminescence, nonlinear optical and chiroptical effects, as well as optical responsivity to external stimuli, can be implemented into molecule-based magnetic materials. Moreover, the fruitful interactions of these optical effects with magnetism in molecule-based materials can provide new physical cross-effects and multifunctionality, enriching the applications in optical, electronic, and magnetic devices. This Review aims to show the scope of optical phenomena generated in molecule-based magnetic materials, including the recent advances in such areas as high-temperature photomagnetism, optical thermometry utilizing SMMs, optical addressability of molecular qubits, magneto-chiral dichroism, and opto-magneto-electric multifunctionality. These findings are discussed in the context of the types of optical phenomena accessible for various classes of molecule-based magnetic materials.

Enhancing antioxidant properties of CeO2 nanoparticles with Nd3+ doping: structural, biological, and machine learning insights

The antioxidant capabilities of nanoparticles are contingent upon various factors, including their shape, size, and chemical composition. Herein, novel Nd-doped CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized and the neodymium content was varied to investigate the synergistic impact on the antioxidant properties of CeO2 nanoparticles. Incorporating Nd3+ induced changes in lattice parameters and significantly altered the morphology from nanoparticles to nanorods. The biological activity of Nd-doped CeO2 was examined against pathogenic bacterial strains, breast cancer cell lines, and antioxidant models. The antibacterial and anticancer activities of nanoparticles were not observed, which could be associated with the Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio. Notably, the incorporation of neodymium improved the antioxidant capacity of CeO2. Machine learning techniques were employed to forecast the antioxidant activity to enhance understanding and predictive capabilities. Among these models, the random forest model exhibited the highest accuracy at 96.35%, establishing it as a robust computational tool for elucidating the biological behavior of Nd-doped CeO2 nanoparticles. This study presents the first exploration of the influence of Nd3+ on the structural, optical, and biological attributes of CeO2, contributing valuable insights and extending the application of machine learning in predicting the therapeutic efficacy of inorganic nanomaterials.

Dual second harmonic generation and up-conversion photoluminescence emission in highly-optimized LiNbO3 nanocrystals doped and co-doped with Er3+ and Yb3

Preparation from the aqueous alkoxide route of doped and co-doped lithium niobate nanocrystals with Er3+ and Yb3+ ions, and detailed investigations of their optical properties are presented in this comprehensive work. Simultaneous emission under femtosecond laser excitation of second harmonic generation (SHG) and up-conversion photoluminescence (UC-PL) is studied from colloidal suspensions according to the lanthanide ion contents. Special attention has been paid to produce phase pure nanocrystals of constant size (∼20 nm) thus allowing a straightforward comparison and optimization of the Er content for increasing the green UC-PL signals under 800 nm excitation. An optimal molar concentration at about 4 molar% in erbium ions is demonstrated, that is well above the concentration usually achieved in bulk crystals. Similarly, for co-doped LiNbO3 nanocrystals, different lanthanide concentrations and Yb/Er content ratios are tested allowing optimization of the green and red up-conversion excited at 980 nm, and analysis of the underlying mechanisms from excitation spectra. All together, these findings provide valuable insights into the wet-chemical synthesis and potential of doped and co-doped LiNbO3 nanocrystals for advanced applications, combining both SHG and UC-PL emissions from the particle core.

On-Off Ratiometric Fluorescence Europium(III) Metal-Organic Framework for Quantitative Detection of the Inflammatory Marker Neopterin

Benefiting from the unique photoluminescence behavior of the lanthanide(III) ions and organic ligands, a lanthanide(III) metal-organic framework (Ln-MOF) material can simultaneously demonstrate photoluminescence of lanthanide(III) cations and organic molecules and endow its superior applications of fluorescence sensing behaviors. Herein, we present a europium(III) MOF material {[Eu2(BPTA)·(CH3COO)2·3DMA]·0.5DMA·3H2O}n (1) (where H4BPTA is 3,3',5,5'-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid) for photoluminescence performance of quantitatively sensing the inflammatory marker neopterin (Neo). The obtained 1 comprises Eu2(COO)4 paddlewheel secondary building units, which could be bridged by BPTA4- ligands to extend a 2D framework. The fluorescence titration indicates 1 can achieve simultaneous fluorescence behavior of Eu3+ ions and Neo via on-off ratiometric effects and thus could be exploited as the ratiometric fluorescence sensor matrix. Such a fluorescence phenomenon of 1 as a ratiometric sensor for quantitative detection of Neo via an on-off ratiometric effect is never observed in MOF chemistry. Moreover, naked-eye visible color variations of the fluorescence for 1 could be observed from red to blue with increasing concentrations of Neo, confirmed by fluorescent test strips as well as portable fluorescent hydrogels. And 1 also shows a low detection limit of 15.11 nM. A synergetic contribution of the competitive absorption, fluorescence resonance energy-transfer, and photoinduced electron-transfer mechanisms between Neo and the framework of 1 realizes the on-off ratiometric fluorescence behavior for Neo detection, supported by the UV-vis spectral overlap experiment and DFT calculations.

SHG-active luminescent thermometers based on chiral cyclometalated dicyanidoiridate(iii) complexes

Multifunctional optical materials can be realized by combining stimuli-responsive photoluminescence (PL), e.g., optical thermometry, with non-linear optical (NLO) effects, such as second-harmonic generation (SHG). We report a novel approach towards SHG-active luminescent thermometers achieved by constructing unique iridium(iii) complexes, cis-[IrIII(CN)2(R,R-pinppy)2]- (R,R-pinppy = (R,R)-2-phenyl-4,5-pinenopyridine), bearing both a chiral 2-phenylpyridine derivative and cyanido ligands, the latter enabling the formation of a series of molecular materials: (TBA)[IrIII(CN)2(R,R-pinppy)2]·2MeCN (1) (TBA+ = tetrabutylammonium) and (nBu-DABCO)2[IrIII(CN)2(R,R-pinppy)2](i)·MeCN (2) (nBu-DABCO+ = 1-(n-butyl)-1,4-diazabicyclo-[2.2.2]octan-1-ium) hybrid salts, (TBA)2{[LaIII(NO3)3(H2O)0.5]2[IrIII(CN)2(R,R-pinppy)2]2} (3) square molecules, and {[LaIII(NO3)2(dmf)3][IrIII(CN)2(R,R-pinppy)2]}·MeCN (4) coordination chains. Thanks to the chiral pinene group, 1-4 crystallize in non-centrosymmetric space groups leading to SHG activity, while the N,C-coordination of ppy-type ligands to Ir(iii) centers generates visible charge-transfer (CT) photoluminescence. The PL characteristics are distinctly temperature-dependent which was utilized in achieving ratiometric optical thermometry below 220 K. The PL phenomena were rationalized by DFT/TD-DFT calculations indicating an MLCT-type of the emission in obtained Ir(iii) complexes with the rich vibronic structure providing a few emission bands that variously depend on temperature due to the role of thermally activated vibrations. As these crucial vibrational modes depend on the crystal lattice, the thermometry performance differs within 1-4 being the most efficient in 4 while the SHG is by far the best also for 4. This proves that pinene-functionalized cyclometalated dicyanidoiridates(iii) are great prerequisites for tunable PL-NLO conjunction with the most effective multifunctionality ensured by the insertion of these anions into bimetallic frameworks.

Swallowed Embedding of Nanopetal-Rich Microflowers in Flexible Photocatalytic and Thermoresponsive Functional Composite Fibers

Developing efficient catalysts to degrade pollutants in water is a very important way to alleviate water pollution. However, it is crucial but challenging to broaden the functions of conventional photocatalysts and improve their environmental adaptability. In this paper, Bi(Er3+/Yb3+)OBr/polyacrylonitrile (BOB-EY/PAN) composite fibers with a swallowed-embedded structure assembled with nanopetal-rich microflowers were designed and fabricated, integrating photocatalytic and temperature-monitoring functions simultaneously. Their unique structure brings a large specific surface area, and the doping of rare earth ions improves the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs, which enhances the photocatalytic efficiency and endows the fibers with a temperature-monitoring function at the same time. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the nanofibers show a maximum degradation efficiency of 99.2% for tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) with a degradation constant of K as high as 0.078 min-1. Based on the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR), the two thermally coupled levels of Er3+ in the nanofibers, 2H11/2 and 4S3/2, provide real-time temperature feedback, displaying a maximum relative sensitivity as high as 0.0215 K-1 at 303 K. Dual-functional BOB-EY/PAN composite nanofibers show great potential for industrial wastewater disposition, providing solutions for wastewater purification in special scenarios.

Modulation of defects in metal organic gels to enhance anhydrous proton conduction from subzero to moderate temperature

Exploitation of solid-state proton-conducting materials with high anhydrous proton conductivity from subzero temperature (<273 K) to moderate temperature (>353 K) is a great challenge. Here, Brönsted acid-dopped zirconium-organic xerogels (Zr/BTC-xerogels) are prepared for anhydrous proton conduction from subzero to moderate temperature. Abundant acid sites and strong H-bonding interactions make the CF3SO3H (TMSA)-introduced xerogel gain high proton conductivity from 9.0 × 10-4 S cm-1 (253 K) to 1.40 × 10-2 S cm-1 (363 K) under anhydrous conditions, which are in the leading level. This provides a new possibility to develop wide-operating-temperature conductors.

Recent progress in high-performance environmental impacts of the removal of radionuclides from wastewater based on metal-organic frameworks: a review

The nuclear industry is rapidly developing and the effective management of nuclear waste and monitoring the nuclear fuel cycle are crucial. The presence of various radionuclides such as uranium (U), europium (Eu), technetium (Tc), iodine (I), thorium (Th), cesium (Cs), and strontium (Sr) in the environment is a major concern, and the development of materials with high adsorption capacity and selectivity is essential for their effective removal. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently emerged as promising materials for removing radioactive elements from water resources due to their unique properties such as tunable pore size, high surface area, and chemical structure. This review provides an extensive analysis of the potential of MOFs as adsorbents for purifying various radionuclides rather than using different techniques such as precipitation, filtration, ion exchange, electrolysis, solvent extraction, and flotation. This review discusses various MOF fabrication methods, focusing on minimizing environmental impacts when using organic solvents and solvent-free methods, and covers the mechanism of MOF adsorption towards radionuclides, including macroscopic and microscopic views. It also examines the effectiveness of MOFs in removing radionuclides from wastewater, their behavior on exposure to high radiation, and their renewability and reusability. We conclude by emphasizing the need for further research to optimize the performance of MOFs and expand their use in real-world applications. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into the potential of MOFs as efficient and durable materials for removing radioactive elements from water resources, addressing a critical issue in the nuclear industry.