Upconversion Luminescence through Cooperative and Energy‐Transfer Mechanisms in Yb3+‐Metal‐Organic Frameworks

Abstract Lanthanide‐doped metal–organic frameworks (Ln‐MOFs) have versatile luminescence properties, however it is challenging to achieve lanthanide‐based upconversion luminescence in these materials. Here, 1,3,5‐benzenetricarboxylic acid (BTC) and trivalent Yb 3+ ions were used to generate crystalline Yb‐BTC MOF 1D‐microrods with upconversion luminescence under near infrared excitation via cooperative luminescence. Subsequently, the Yb‐BTC MOFs were doped with a variety of different lanthanides to evaluate the potential for Yb 3+ ‐based upconversion and energy transfer. Yb‐BTC MOFs doped with Er 3+ , Ho 3+ , Tb 3+ , and Eu 3+ ions exhibit both the cooperative luminescence from Yb 3+ and the characteristic emission bands of these ions under 980 nm irradiation. In contrast, only the 497 nm upconversion emission band from Yb 3+ is observed in the MOFs doped with Tm 3+ , Pr 3+ , Sm 3+ , and Dy 3+ . The effects of different dopants on the efficiency of cooperative luminescence were established and will provide guidance for the exploitation of Ln‐MOFs exhibiting upconversion.