Brightness and Color Tuning in a Series of Lanthanide-Based Coordination Polymers with Benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylic Acid as a Ligand

Reactions in water between the sodium salt of benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylic acid (H4btec) and lanthanide ions (Sm–Dy) led to a series of isostructural lanthanide-based coordination polymers with the general chemical formula [Ln4(btec)3(H2O)12·20H2O]∞ with Ln = Sm–Dy. The family has been structurally characterized. From a luminescent point of view, the heterodinuclear strategy has been successfully applied and allows significant brightness enhancement (+35%) and color tuning from green to yellow to orange to red.