Preparation and Characterization of Bi-metallic and Tri-metallic Metal Organic Frameworks Based on Trimesic Acid and Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) Ions

Trimesic acid-M1(II):M2(II) (M1,2(II)=M(II)=Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II)) bi-metallic or tri-metallic organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized by the reaction of trimesic acid (H3BTC) ligand with the corresponding MCl₂nH₂O aqueous solutions. Here, bi- and tri-metallic MOF preparations were demonstrated by using H3BTC as an organic linker, with dual metal ion mixtures at different mole ratios such as Co(II):Ni(II), Ni(II):Cu(II), and Cu(II):Co(II) as metal ion sources in the synthesis of bi-metallic MOFs, and the triple metal ion mixture of Co(II):Ni(II):Cu(II) as the metal ion source in the synthesis of tri-metallic MOFs. The bi- or tri-metallic MOFs were characterized via the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and magnetic susceptibility measurements with the Gouy method, FT-IR spectroscopy, and electronic spectral studies. The results revealed that the H3BTC MOFs have octahedral and distorted octahedral arrangement around the metal ions, and the d–d transition was not observed in the complex. It was further found that all the prepared MOFs contain water molecules confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and TGA analyses. The FT-IR spectra of the MOF complexes were characterized by the appearance of a broad band in the region of 3454–3300 cm^?1 due to the ν(-OH) of the coordinated water; therefore, the location of the two water molecules was assumed to be inside the complex structure. Remarkably, the synthesized bi-metallic MOFs had unique and distinct colors depending on the amounts of metal ions used in the feed, implying that these bi-metallic MOFs with tunable M1(II) and M2(II) ratios offer great potential in the design of color-coded materials for use as sensors.