Self-assembly under hydrothermal conditions has been employed to synthesize several novel uranium-containing polymeric materials in the pyridinedicarboxylic acid (pydc) system. Uranium containing coordination polymers were synthesized utilizing 2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (2,3-pydc), 2,4-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (2,4-pydc) and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (2,6-pydc) as the organic linker. Furthermore, several bimetallic compounds were also synthesized, U–M–2,6-pydc (M = Cu, Ag, Pb). A new secondary building unit for uranium(VI) compounds has also been realized in compound 4 [(UO2)2(C7H3NO4)(O)(H2O)] through tetramer building units edge shared to form one-dimensional chains. Presented herein will be the syntheses, crystal structures and fluorescent properties of these uranium-containing compounds.
