Enhanced photoluminescence emission of 3-aminobenzoic acid by complexation with M cations [M = cobalt, zinc]

• Novel complexes have been synthesized by a simple refluxing reaction.
• This approach is expected to prepare other inorganic organic hybrid complexes.
• These complexes could show huge photoluminescence emission enhancement.

Novel M (M = zinc or cobalt)-3-aminobenzoic acid complexes have been synthesized by a simple refluxing reaction using M (acetate) and 3-aminobenzoic acid for the precursors. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV–Vis spectra and photoluminescence (PL). And the results confirmed that the complexes could show huge photoluminescence emission enhancement. The formation mechanism of the morphologies and the superstructures of the complexes were proposed based on the time-dependent evolution process. Because of the promotion to transfer energy between the metal and 3-aminobenzoic acid, these interlayer complexes could show huge photoluminescence emission enhancement in the near-UV region (410 nm) compared with pure 3-aminobenzoic acid.