Coordination polymers are constructed from metal ions and bridging ligands, linking them into solid-state structures extending in one (1D), two (2D) or three dimensions (3D). Two- and three-dimensional coordination polymers with potential voids are often referred to as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) or porous coordination polymers. Luminescence is an important property of coordination polymers, often playing a key role in their applications. Photophysical properties of the coordination polymers can be associated with intraligand, metal-centered, guest-centered, metal-to-ligand and ligand-to-metal electron transitions. In recent years, a rapid growth of publications devoted to luminescent or fluorescent coordination polymers can be observed. In this review the use of fluorescent ligands, namely, 4,4′-stilbenedicarboxylic acid, 1,3,4-oxadiazole, thiazole, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole, terpyridine and carbazole derivatives, naphthalene diimides, 4,4′,4′′-nitrilotribenzoic acid, ruthenium(II) and iridium(III) complexes, boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives, porphyrins, for the construction of coordination polymers are surveyed. Applications of such coordination polymers based on their photophysical properties will be discussed. The review covers the literature published before April 2020.

A new dicarboxylate ligand - 4,7-di(p-carboxyphenyl)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole was synthesised and used for the preparation of the 2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-decorated zirconium(IV)-based metal–organic framework UiO-68(bod). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed it to belong to the UiO-68 family with fcu topology. The framework UiO-68(bod) exhibited a high photoluminescence quantum yield (35%) and a strong fluorescence turn-on response to ammonia and aliphatic amines in water. The detection limits of the amines were in the range of 60–240 nM, while for ammonia the detection limit was as low as 6.5 ppb (384 nM), which is the best value among the MOFs sensitive to NH₃ in aqueous solutions. The mechanism behind the response was rationalised on the basis of DFT calculations. Paper test-strips for the simple and express detection of ammonia/amines in water were fabricated.

A new metal–organic framework based on cadmium(II) cations, di(p-carboxyphenyl)sulphone and 4,7-di(imidazol-1-yl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole was prepared, and its crystal structure was determined using single-crystal XRD analysis. MOF demonstrated bright luminescence with a maximum near 500 nm and quantum yield reaching 20%. In addition, this MOF demonstrated sensing properties towards antibiotics and a toxic natural polyphenol gossypol through effective luminescence quenching in an ethanol suspension. The determined detection limit for gossypol was among the lowest reported so far (0.65 µM), and did not significantly change in the interference experiments with cottonseed oil as background, indicating the possibility of using this MOF as a sensor for the detection and determination of gossypol in real-life samples.

For the first time, orthogonally substituted azole-carboxylate adamantane ligands were synthesized and used for preparation of coordination polymers. The angle-shaped ligands were prepared by the reaction of 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid and azoles (1H-1,2,4-triazole, 3-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole, 3,5-dimethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole, 1H-tetrazole, 5-methyl-1H-tetrazole) in concentrated sulfuric acid. Variation of the solvent and substituents in azole rings allowed to prepare both 1D and 2D copper(II) and nickel(II) coordination polymers, [Cu₂(trzadc)₄(H₂O)_0.7]∙DMF∙0.3H₂O, [Cu(trzadc)₂(MeOH)]∙MeOH, [Ni(trzadc)₂(MeOH)₂] and [Cu₂(mtrzadc)₃(MeOH)]⁺NO₃^– (trzadc-3-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-adamantane-1-carboxylic acid; mtrzadc-3-(3-methyl-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-adamantane-1-carboxylic acid) which were structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex [Cu(trzadc)₂(MeOH)]∙MeOH was shown to act as a catalyst in the Chan-Evans-Lam arylation reaction.