Ratiometric fluorescent sensing for phosphate based on Eu/Ce/UiO-66-(COOH)₂ nanoprobe

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Phosphate anion (PO43-) sensing is crucial for human health and environmental monitoring.
• Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity or simplicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a unique ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe for sensitive PO43- detection.
• To utilize metal-organic frameworks (MOF) for enhanced sensing capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Postsynthetic modification of UiO-66-(COOH)2 metal-organic framework with Eu3+ and Ce3+ ions.
• Utilizing ratiometric fluorescence changes upon PO43- binding for detection.
• Characterization of the nanoprobe's optical properties and sensing performance.

Main Results:

• The Eu/Ce/Uio-66-(COOH)2 nanoprobe exhibited distinct emission peaks, with selective fluorescence quenching at 377 nm upon PO43- interaction.
• A good linear response was observed in the 0.3–20 μM concentration range for PO43-.
• A low detection limit of 0.247 μM was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The developed ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe provides a sensitive and selective method for PO43- detection.
• This approach is applicable to real water samples and offers advantages in sensitivity, preparation, and procedure simplicity over other methods.