A highly selective multifunctional Zn‐coordination polymer sensor for detection of Cr (III), Cr (VI) ion, and TNP molecule

Abstract

A new coordination polymer based on the 4‐(2,2′;6′,2″‐tripyridyl)‐4′‐1,2‐phenyl dicarboxylic acid (H 2 tbda), namely, [Zn (tbda)] n ( 1 ), features a one‐dimensional binuclear chain structure and exhibits the excellent luminescence in pH range of 3‐12 in aqueous solution. Particularly, compound 1 shows the remarkable selectivity, anti‐interference, and recyclability for sensing Cr (III) ion through the fluorescence enhancement. Meanwhile, compound 1 can also serve as a sensor for detecting the trace amounts of Cr (VI) ion and 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol (TNP) with high selectivity and recyclability through the fluorescence quenching effect. Furthermore, the detection mechanisms of compound 1 as a fluorescence sensor for different analytes have been explored in detail.