Construction of three isostructural 3d–4f microporous coordination frameworks based on mixed nicotinate and oxalate ligands

The self-assembly of nicotinic acid and sodium oxalate with mixed 3d–4f metal salts under hydrothermal conditions gave three isostructural 3D 3d–4f coordination polymers, [LnCu(nic)2(ox)] · xH2O [Ln = La, x = 1 (1); Ln = Eu, x = 2 (2); Ln = Gd, x = 2 (3)] [ox = oxalate, nic = nicotinate]. All three structures exhibit same unusual 3D microporous heterometallic coordination frameworks that are built up by rare tetranuclear Ln2Cu2 clusters and mixed ox and nic linkers. Furthermore, the luminescent property of complex 2 has also been investigated.