A new 2D Cu-MOF constructed from carboxylate ligands containing C–H⋯π interactions as a recyclable responsive luminescent sensor for VOCs

Abstract

A new type of 2D metal–organic framework (MOF), namely Cu-MOF, was constructed from Cu(NO₃)₂·3H₂O and the novel ligand 1,4-bis(4-naphthoic acid)benzene. The C–H⋯π interactions in the Cu-MOF effectively reduced aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) due to restrictions in intramolecular motion (RIM), increased fluorescence, and controlled crystal packing properties, resulting in low dimensional parallelogram channels and a responsive “turn-on” fluorescence. The activated Cu-MOF exhibited excellent chemical sensing properties to various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and showed excellent recyclability.