Multifaceted properties of an engineered three-dimensional Zn(ii)–metal–organic coordination polymer: synthesis, crystal structure, efficient photocatalytic degradation of an organic dye and selective luminescent sensing

Metal–organic frameworks and coordination polymers (MOFs/CPs) have emerged as a rare category of multidimensional materials with applications in many fields, particularly as photocatalysts for aromatic dyes and for the luminescent sensing of volatile organic solvents (VOCs), anions, cations, etc. Herein, a luminescent zinc(II) coordination polymer (ZnCP) was prepared using 3,5-diamino triazole (DAT) and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC) under solvothermal conditions and was fully characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, and single X-ray crystallography. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of the ZnCP in decomposing an aqueous solution of methyl green (MG) was examined. Photocatalysis results indicated a 99.61% efficiency in the presence of the ZnCP under visible light. Furthermore, an active species trapping experiment helped deduce a possible photocatalysis mechanism of MG degradation. Interestingly, the ZnCP also acted as a potential luminescent sensor for the detection of cations Fe3+ and Cu2 and anions Cr2O72− and MnO4−, with outstanding limit of detection (LOD) values of 2.44 nM for Fe3+, 3.50 nM for Cu2+, 3.14 nM for Cr2O72−, and 2.54 nM for MnO4−. Thus, the designed luminescent zinc(II) coordination polymer holds the potential to act as a photocatalyst as well as a luminescent sensor.