Multifunctional Anthracene-Based Ni-MOF with Encapsulated Fullerenes: Polarized Fluorescence Emission and Selective Separation of C 70 from C 60 .

We report an anthracene-based Ni-MOF [Ni(II) metal-organic framework, {[Ni(μ 2 - L ) 2 Cl 2 ]· x (C 6 H 6 )· y (MeOH)} n ( 1 ), L = anthracene-9,10-diylbis(methylene)diisonicotinate] whose crystal structure reveals the presence of hexagonal channels with a pore size of 1.4 nm that can accommodate guests such as C 60 and C 70 . Both confocal fluorescence and Raman microscopy results are in agreement with a homogeneous distribution of fullerenes throughout the single crystals of 1 . Efficient energy transfer from 1 to the fullerenes was observed, which emitted partially polarized fluorescence emission. Stronger binding between 1 and C 70 versus C 60 was confirmed from HPLC analysis of the dissolved material and provides a basis for the selective retention of C 70 in liquid chromatography columns packed with 1 .