Ingenious approaches to supramolecular assembly for fabricating smart nanodevices is one of the more significant topics in nanomaterials research. Herein, by using surface quaternized cationic carbon dots (CDots) as the assembly and fluorescence platform, anionic sulfonatocalix[4]arene with modifiable lower and upper rims as a connector, as well as in situ coordination of Tb³⁺ ions, we propose an elaborate supramolecular assembly strategy for the facile fabrication of a multifunctional nanodevice. The dynamic equilibrium characteristics of the supramolecular interaction can eventually endow this nanodevice with functions of fluorescent ratiometric molecular recognition and as a nano-logic gate with two output channels.

A novel metal–organic framework (MOF) was fabricated by spontaneous K⁺-induced supramolecular self-assembly with the embedded tripodal ligand units. When the 3D ligand was loaded onto Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles, it could effectively separate K⁺ ions from a mixture of Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ ions through nanoparticle-assisted MOF crystallization into a Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂@MOF hybrid material. Excess potassium ions could be extracted because of the specific cation–π interaction between K⁺ and the aromatic cavity of the MOF, leading to enhanced separation efficiency and suggesting a new application for MOFs.

A novel metal–organic framework (MOF) was fabricated by spontaneous K⁺-induced supramolecular self-assembly with the embedded tripodal ligand units. When the 3D ligand was loaded onto Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles, it could effectively separate K⁺ ions from a mixture of Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ ions through nanoparticle-assisted MOF crystallization into a Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂@MOF hybrid material. Excess potassium ions could be extracted because of the specific cation–π interaction between K⁺ and the aromatic cavity of the MOF, leading to enhanced separation efficiency and suggesting a new application for MOFs.

Full-color lanthanide (Ln) photoluminescent materials have attracted considerable interest owing to their potential applications in display systems and lighting technologies. Herein, full-color photoluminescent films have been designed and fabricated facilely with a fixed-component Ln-based (Ln=Tb and Eu) polymer hybrid doped with a proton-sensitive amide-type β-diketonated photosensitizer, N-(2-pyridinyl)benzoylacetamide (HPBA). The tunable photoluminescence emissions of the films are achieved by changing the amounts of OH⁻ in the hybrid rather than varying the relative concentrations of the lanthanide ions and photosensitizers, thus representing a new paradigm for full-color displays. The emission color can also be finely tuned through the variation of the excitation wavelength, and white-light emission can be achieved when the given film is excited at the visible region (405 nm). The photophysical properties and the mechanisms of the intra- and intermolecular energy transfer before and after deprotonation have been investigated in detail. Meanwhile, the films might find application as vapoluminescent sensors due to their good stability, sensitivity, reversibility, and quick response when triggered by a base–acid vapor.

A series of lanthanide metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) possessing 4f homometallic 2D noninterpenetrating (6,3) honeycomb topological network structures with lanthanide atoms acting as three-connected centers have been assembled by using a semirigid bridging ligand with lanthanide nitrates, namely [{Ln₂(NO₃)₆L₃}·(H₂O)₂·(CHCl₃)]_n (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Er; L = 2,5-dimethyl-1,4-bis[{(2′-benzylaminoformyl)phenoxy}methyl]benzene. The coordination layers are linked by intermolecular hydrogen bonds to form a 3D cage structure with 1D supramolecular channels along the c axis, in which chloroform and lattice water molecules are located to stabilize the structure. Under specific excitation, the Sm^III, Eu^III, Tb^III, and Dy^III MOFs exhibit characteristic emissions. The lowest triplet-state energy level of the ligand indicates that the energy level of the ligand matches better to the resonance levels of Tb^III and Dy^III rather than Sm^III and Eu^III ions.