Lanthanide metal-organic frameworks for luminescent sensing and light-emitting applications

•Luminescent behaviors of lanthanide MOFs are described.•Lanthanide MOFs for luminescence sensing and light-emitting are summarized.•Controllable syntheses of nano-MOFs for sensors are discussed.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been emerging as very important multifunctional hybrid materials due to their inherent advantages of organic linkers and inorganic metal ions, tunable porosity and diverse functionality. The combination of the intrinsic luminescent features of lanthanide ions together with the unique characteristics of MOFs provides a fascinating opportunity for designing novel luminescent MOF materials. In this review, we summarize our research progress on the design and construction of luminescent lanthanide MOFs, as well as their potential functions and applications on luminescent sensing and light-emitting.