AIE-active tetraphenylethene functionalized metal–organic framework for selective detection of nitroaromatic explosives and organic photocatalysis

AIE-active luminogen tetraphenylethene (TPE) was incorporated into a UiO-isoreticular zirconium metal-organic framework via the strategy of mixed dicarboxylate struts, and the resulting functionalized MOF shows a strong blue-green emission and selective sensing of nitroaromatic explosives 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) through fluorescence quenching. Moreover, the luminescent MOF exhibits efficient photocatalytic activity for aerobic cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions mediated by visible light.