Highly luminescent and stable lanthanide coordination polymers based 2-(3′,4′-dicarboxyphenoxy)-benzoic acid: Crystal structure, photoluminescence, white light emission and fluorescence sensing

New lanthanide coordination polymers (Ln-CPs), {[Ln(DPBA)(phen) 2 ]·2H 2 O} n (Ln = Eu 1 , Tb 2 , Gd 3 ), based on a ternary system containing 2-(3′,4′-dicarboxyphenoxy)-benzoic acid (H 3 DPBA) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) were hydrothermally prepared. The Ln-CPs exhibit a 1D structure with [LnO 4 N 4 ] polyhedra and DPBA ligands, which can be extended to a 3D supramolecular network by water clusters and π-stacking. The coordination polymers have remarkable thermal stability up to 340 °C and solvent stability (in various solvents containing water in the 3–12 pH range). 1 , 2 , 3 show bright red, green, and blue emissions, respectively. Notably, 1 exhibits a very high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 86%, which is among the best values for Ln-CPs. Energy transfer analysis is performed for Ln-CPs by DFT/TD-DFT calculations, solid-state phosphorescence (77 K) and UV–vis absorption spectra of Gd-CP. Favorable photostability of 1 is observed through a UV aging experiment, which shows that the PLQY of 1 maintained 55% of its initial value after 150 h Ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation, which makes it potentially useful as a light conversion material. In addition, the Gd 0.993 Eu 0.0017 Tb 0.0053 -CP codoped system shows white emission with a high PLQY of 35.09%, which is among the highly ranked as compared with reported white light emissions based on Ln-CPs. This highly luminescent Eu-CP can also be used as a sensitive fluorescence sensor for antibiotic detection in aqueous solution. Eu-CP and its isomorphic Tb/Gd-CPs were constructed from H 3 DPBA and phen ligands. Eu-CP has excellent photoluminescence quantum yield, remarkable thermal and solvent stabilities, and favorable photostability under UV irradiation. A highly efficient white lighting material was prepared through a Ln(III) ion doping strategy. Also, Eu-CP has high sensitivity for antibiotics detection in aqueous solution. • 1D highly luminescent and stable Ln-CPs with DPBA and phen ligands were constructed. Eu-CP exhibits high PLQY (86%). • Eu-CP has remarkable thermally and solvent stabilities, and favorable photostability. • Doped Gd:Eu/Tb-CP shows efficient white light emission with high PLQY (35.09%). • Eu-CP can selectively detect MNZ, ONZ and RNZ in aqueous solution with high sensitivity.