Exploring the Photophysical and Mechanical Behavior of Fluorescent Metal–Organic Framework Monoliths
Michele Tricarico, Samraj Mollick, Vishal Kachwal, Dylan A. Sherman and Jin-Chong Tan
Chemistry of Materials 36, 8247 (2024)
Luminescent metal–organic frameworks exhibit great potential as materials for nanophotonic applications because of their programmable properties and tunable structures. In particular, luminescent guests (LG) can be hosted by metal–organic frameworks due to their porosity and guest confinement capacity, forming LG@MOF composite systems. However, such guest–host systems are mainly produced as loose powders, preventing their widespread use in practical devices and technological applications that require implementation of a stable continuum solid. In this regard, using monolithic MOF hosts might be a workable option to solve this challenge. Herein, we reported the facile synthesis and fabrication of novel prototypical sol–gel monolithic systems, designated as LG@monoMOF. Red (rhodamine B), blue (7-methoxycoumarin), and yellow (fluorescein) emitting dyes were encapsulated in a robust UiO-66 monolithic host, resulting in the red, blue, and yellow light-emitting luminescent monoliths. The mechanical and photophysical characterization of the three LG@monoMOF systems was systematically carried out in order to unravel the role of guest–host interactions in the mechanical and optical response of the bespoke LG@monoMOF composites.