Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks
Published on: September 5, 2014
Zinc-Adeninate Metal-Organic Framework: A Versatile Photoluminescent Sensor for Rare Earth Elements in Aqueous
Scott E Crawford1,2, Xing Yee Gan2, Peter C K Lemaire2
1National Energy Technology Laboratory , United States, Department of Energy, P.O. Box 10940, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15236 , United States.
Abstract:
Rare earth elements (REEs) are strategically important for national security and advanced technologies. Consequently, significant effort has been devoted towards increasing REE domestic production, including the extraction of REEs from coal, coal combustion byproducts, and their associated waste streams such as acid mine drainage. Analytical techniques for rapid quantification of REE content in aqueous phases can facilitate REE recovery through rapid identification of high-value waste streams. In this work, we show that BioMOF-100 can be used as a fluorescent-based sensitizer for emissive REE ion detection in water, providing rapid (<10 min) analysis times and sensitive detection (parts-per-billion detection limits) for terbium, dysprosium, samarium, europium, ytterbium, and neodymium, even in the presence of acids or secondary metals.
Related Concept Videos
Periodic Classification of the Elements
Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
Metallic Solids
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....
Classification of Elements and Compounds
Compounds are pure substances composed of two or more elements in fixed, definite proportions. Compounds are classified as ionic or molecular (covalent) based on the bonds...
Levels of Organization
Molecules Are Composed of Atoms, and Biomolecules Are Assembled from Molecules:
The most basic levels include atoms, molecules, and biomolecules. Atoms, the smallest unit of ordinary matter, are composed of a nucleus and electrons. Molecules...
Photoluminescence: Applications

