Elucidating Guest-Host Mechanisms in ZIF-L for Tuneable Highly Luminescent 2D Materials

Abstract

3D metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are well known effective hosts for luminescent guests that improve tuneability, photostability and material fabricability. 2D guest@MOF systems, while less explored, offer competitive advantages over 3D guest@MOF systems due to their optical transparency, inter-layer spacing, and vertical thinness. This work examines luminescent organic dyes@ZIF-L to establish the underlying mechanisms of guest incorporation in ZIF-L and demonstrate the advantages of the 2D ZIF-L architecture for the material's functional luminescence. Analysing a case study system, fluorescein@ZIF-L (F@ZIF-L), using nanoscale FTIR, diffraction, and topology mapping, confirmed that fluorescein (F) resided in the ZIF-L framework cavities. Supported by surface energy simulations, the extent of guest incorporation was found to be indicated by a morphological continuum, from the characteristic leaf-shaped ZIF-L to rectangular F@ZIF-L. By modifying synthesis temperature and solvent ratios, the luminescent properties of F@ZIF-L could be rationally tuned in terms of guest loading (% mol) and arrangement (i.e. guest monomer to aggregate ratio). When optimised, F@ZIF-L exhibited tuneable emission chromaticity, 99.7% photoluminescent quantum yield, minimal guest leaching in solution over 12 months, and high photostability. Perylene@ZIF-L exhibited unique white light emitting properties, with CIE coordinates (0.33, 0.34) arising from a combination of yellow alpha-phase excimer and blue monomeric perylene emission. Finally, oriented luminescent thin films of guest@ZIF-L materials were grown on malleable Zn foils, demonstrating an in situ fabrication technique. Together, the work highlights the potential for luminescent dye@ZIF-L systems in developing tuneable and resilient luminescent components of next-generation optoelectronics, sensors, and lighting systems.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{sherman2026elucidating,
  title = {{Elucidating Guest-Host Mechanisms in ZIF-L for Tuneable Highly Luminescent 2D Materials}},
  author = {Dylan A. Sherman and Lorenzo Donà and Cyril Besnard and Lars Mester and Ben Slater and Judit Farrando-Pérez and Christopher Allen and Joaquín Silvestre-Albero and Jin-Chong Tan},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.06028},
  eprint = {2609.06028},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.06028},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Elucidating Guest-Host Mechanisms in ZIF-L for Tuneable Highly Luminescent 2D Materials
AU  - Dylan A. Sherman
AU  - Lorenzo Donà
AU  - Cyril Besnard
AU  - Lars Mester
AU  - Ben Slater
AU  - Judit Farrando-Pérez
AU  - Christopher Allen
AU  - Joaquín Silvestre-Albero
AU  - Jin-Chong Tan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/05
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.06028
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.06028
AB  - 3D metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are well known effective hosts for luminescent guests that improve tuneability, photostability and material fabricability. 2D guest@MOF systems, while less explored, offer competitive advantages over 3D guest@MOF systems due to their optical transparency, inter-layer spacing, and vertical thinness. This work examines luminescent organic dyes@ZIF-L to establish the underlying mechanisms of guest incorporation in ZIF-L and demonstrate the advantages of the 2D ZIF-L architecture for the material's functional luminescence. Analysing a case study system, fluorescein@ZIF-L (F@ZIF-L), using nanoscale FTIR, diffraction, and topology mapping, confirmed that fluorescein (F) resided in the ZIF-L framework cavities. Supported by surface energy simulations, the extent of guest incorporation was found to be indicated by a morphological continuum, from the characteristic leaf-shaped ZIF-L to rectangular F@ZIF-L. By modifying synthesis temperature and solvent ratios, the luminescent properties of F@ZIF-L could be rationally tuned in terms of guest loading (% mol) and arrangement (i.e. guest monomer to aggregate ratio). When optimised, F@ZIF-L exhibited tuneable emission chromaticity, 99.7% photoluminescent quantum yield, minimal guest leaching in solution over 12 months, and high photostability. Perylene@ZIF-L exhibited unique white light emitting properties, with CIE coordinates (0.33, 0.34) arising from a combination of yellow alpha-phase excimer and blue monomeric perylene emission. Finally, oriented luminescent thin films of guest@ZIF-L materials were grown on malleable Zn foils, demonstrating an in situ fabrication technique. Together, the work highlights the potential for luminescent dye@ZIF-L systems in developing tuneable and resilient luminescent components of next-generation optoelectronics, sensors, and lighting systems.
ER  -

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