Crystal structure and photocatalytic activity of luminescent 3D-Supramolecular metal organic framework of dysprosium

A 3D supramolecular metal organic framework of dysprosium has been fabricated through a facile hydrothermal procedure with the ligand, 2,6-naphthalene disulphonic acid and the co-ligand, 4,4′-bipyridine. The MOF has been characterized as [C(60)H(81)DyN(8)O(30)S(4)] by routine analytical procedures. SXRD studies of the MOF show the existence of a hydrogen-bonded 3D supramolecular structure with high porosity. It crystallizes in monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with unit cell parameters, a = 16.5424(6) Å, b = 37.0052(14) Å, c = 24.4361(9) Å, β = 100.7410°, α = γ = 90°. The Dy-MOF has eight coordinated water molecules around the metal centre and exhibits square anti-prismatic geometry. The band gap is 3.11 eV. The degradation experiments under visible light confirmed that Dy-MOF can act as a photocatalyst. Addition of hydrogen peroxide remarkably increases the degradation efficiency of the MOF through an advanced oxidation process. The newly synthesized MOF produced sharp emission peaks characteristic of dysprosium ion.