UiO-66 derivate as a fluorescent probe for Fe³⁺ detection

The fluorescent dye molecules have gained wide attention for their applications in areas such as imaging and sensor. However, the properties of the fluorescent dyes are limited due to the built-in problems such as the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). Herein, a fluorescent dye@MOF was developed by encapsulating fluorescent dye molecules into the channels of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to disperse them. This composite material SRB@UiO-66, equipping appreciable stability, was successfully obtained with sulfonyl rhodamine B (SRB) integrated into UiO-66. The composite material overtly accelerated the fluorescence property of SRB due to the limitation of nanometer channels on SRB, while UiO-66 has some fluorescence properties. Besides, SRB@UiO-66 with dual emission centers can be utilized as ratiometric sensors for Fe³⁺ detection in aqueous solution owing to their high sensitivity and selectivity. SRB@UiO-66 shows a new possibility to fabricate fluorescent molecular probes for the determination of heavy metal ions.