Lanthanide cation encapsulated in a metal–organic framework as a white LED and selective naked-eye reversible HCl sensor

Abstract

In this article, anionic HPU-14 with permanent porosity and excellent stability in air was used as a platform for loading green-emitting Tb³⁺ and red-emitting Eu³⁺ into nanotube channels of a blue-emitting metal–organic framework via an ion-exchange process. The emissions of HPU-14@Tb³⁺@Eu³⁺ were in the white region with a high quantum yield of up to 7.1% when this composite was excited at 365 nm (X = 0.325, 0.315). HPU-14@Tb³⁺@Eu³⁺ was suitable for a white light-emitting device and enabled the sensitive colorimetric reversible detection of gaseous HCl while the host net remained intact.