Two new Zn(II) and Cd(II) coordination polymers derived from 1,3,5-tris(3-carbonylphenyloxy)benzene and 4,4′-bis(imidazolyl)biphenyl ligands: Syntheses, structure and luminescent sensing of antibiotics.

• Two luminescent d10 metal coordination polymers were constructed. • Compound 1 shows highly selective and sensitive response to nitrofurazone. • The sensing mechanism was discussed by theoretical calculations. Two new coordination polymers with formulae [Zn(HL)(bb)] n (1) and [Cd(HL)(bb)] n (2) (H 3 L = 1,3,5-tris(3-carbonylphenyloxy)benzene and bb = 4,4′-bis(imidazolyl)biphenyl) have been synthesized solvothermally and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR, single crystal X-ray diffraction and thermal analyses. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that compounds 1 and 2 show similar three-fold interpenetrating 4-connected 2D framework structure with the sql topological net and the Schläfli symbol of {44·62} and are further extended into 3D supramolecular network by inter-molecular hydrogen bonding. Compound 1 have been used as turn-off luminescent sensor and displayed sensitive and selective luminescence sensing for nitrofurazone antibiotic (NFZ) with K sv of 0.87 × 103 M−1 and 1.98 ppm limit of detection (LOD). The plausible mechanistic pathway for the detrioration in the luminescent intensity of 1 in presence of antibiotics have been explained with the help of theoretical calculations. The calculations indicated that the decline in fluorescence intensity of 1 was accredited to the electron/energy transfer as well as weak interactions operating between 1 and antibiotic. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]