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The formation of two-component molecular cocrystals can lead to the tunable excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process and emission, as first confirmed by both experimental and computational studies.

We report that two types of Zn-terephthalate (TPA) MOFs (namely [Zn(TPA)(DMF)] (1-DMF) and MOF-5) could exhibit an obvious room-temperature afterglow emission with a time-resolved luminescence lifetime as high as 0.47 seconds., Luminescent metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have received much attention due to their wide structural tunability and potential application in light-emitting diodes, biological imaging and chemical sensors. However, successful examples of long-persistent afterglow MOFs are still quite limited to date. In this work, we report that two types of Zn-terephthalate (TPA) MOFs (namely [Zn(TPA)(DMF)] (1-DMF) and MOF-5) could exhibit an obvious room-temperature afterglow emission with a time-resolved luminescence lifetime as high as 0.47 seconds. The phosphorescence-based afterglow was also highly sensitive to the temperature, and the reversible emission intensity could be recycled under high/low temperatures. Moreover, both 1-DMF and MOF-5 showed highly tunable afterglow phosphorescence colors (from cyan to yellow and from green to red, respectively) upon treatment with pyridine solution. The fluorescence/phosphorescence emission color of MOF-5 can be reversibly switched due to the addition and removal of a pyridine guest to and from the host nanochannel, as shown in both experimental and computational studies. Therefore, this work not only shows a facile method to develop MOF-based long-afterglow materials at room temperature, but also presents a strategy to tune their phosphorescence in a wide range based on host–guest interactions.