Synthesis, crystal structure and photocatalytic properties of a three-dimensional copper(II) metal-organic framework based on 1,3,5-tris(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)benzene.

A three-dimensional metal-organic framework, namely, poly[[bis(μ3-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato)bis[μ3-1,3,5-tris(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)benzene]tricopper(II)] hexahydrate], {[Cu3(C9H3O6)2(C18H18N6)2]·6H2O}n or {[Cu(BTC)2/3(TMIB)2/3]·2H2O}n, (I) [TMIB is 1,3,5-tris(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)benzene and H3BTC is benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid], has been synthesized under solvothermal conditions and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Compound (I) features an unusual three-dimensional (3,4)-connected 2-nodal net with {83}4{86}3 topology. Photocatalytic investigations indicate that (I) affords good photocatalytic capabilities in the degradation of methylene blue (MB). Furthermore, the possible photocatalytic mechanism is discussed.