Two MOF-74 analogs with OH groups on 1D channel surfaces have been synthesized through multi-component self-assembly at room temperature. Their guest-free forms demonstrate a potential luminescent probe or sensor for small molecules, and OH-MOF-74 (2a) also showed exceptional fluorescence quenching and enhancement behavior for different types of aromatic molecules.

The synthesis, crystal structures, fluorescent properties and chirality of Zn(II) coordination complexes with two kinds of salen-type Schiff based ligands are reported. One of them is a chiral molecule and exhibits an unusually intense orange–red visible fluorescent emission in the present of THF, while the other is silent in photoluminescent emission.

Two D–A type asymmetrical Zn( ii ) coordination complexes, [ZnL ¹ (C ₂ H ₅ OH)] ( 1 ) and [ZnL ² (DMF)]·DMF ( 2 ) were designed, synthesized, and studied. Through the strategy of expanding π–π stacking interaction, fluorescence emission is red-shifted remarkably.

Chirality of a nucleotide–Cu(II) complex molecule, [CuNa(GMP)(HGMP)(H₂O)₇]·6(H₂O)·CH₃OH (GMP = guanosine 5′-monophosphate), is delivered to the three-dimensional supramolecular architecture by hydrogen bonding. Liquid- and solid-state circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy are used to analyse the molecular and supramolecular chirality.