The first examples of lanthanide selenite-carboxylate compounds: syntheses, crystal structures and properties

[Ln(8)(SeO3)(4)(2,6-pdc)(8)(H2O)(10)]center dot 2H(2)O (Ln = La (1), Nd (2), Eu (3); 2,6-pdcH(2) = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) represent the first examples of luminescent lanthanide selenite-carboxylate compounds. The compounds have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. The structures feature two-dimensional (2D) host frameworks composed of Ln(8)(SeO3)(4)(2,6-pdc)(8)(H2O)(10) clusters connected to each other via inter-cluster Ln(2)O(2) rhombic units along the b-axis and 12-membered Ln(4)O(2)(COO)(2) rings along the c-axis. Inter-layer H-bonding interactions between coordinated water molecules and carboxylate groups lead to three-dimensional architectures. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the 2D networks were thermostable up to similar to 450 degrees C after losing both coordinated and lattice water molecules and underwent reversible process of dehydration and rehydration. Study on photoluminescent properties revealed that compounds 1, 2 and 3 were new rare-earth materials with violet, near-infrared, and red luminescence, respectively.