Sensitive and Anti-Interference Al³⁺ Sensing with a Luminescent Eu-MOF

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer unique luminescent properties.
• Developing selective sensors for metal ions is crucial for environmental monitoring.
• Aluminum ions (Al³⁺) pose environmental and health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel luminescent lanthanide MOF for Al³⁺ detection.
• To investigate the sensing mechanism and performance of the MOF towards Al³⁺.
• To evaluate the potential of the MOF for environmental applications.

Main Methods:

• Solvothermal synthesis of the lanthanide MOF, Eu-TD, using Eu³⁺ and H₂BTDB ligand.
• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction for structural analysis.
• Luminescence spectroscopy to study the sensing behavior towards Al³⁺.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Eu-TD framework crystallizes in the hexagonal system (space group P6₄22).
• Eu-TD exhibits exceptional selectivity and high sensitivity for Al³⁺ detection (LOD = 0.04 μM).
• A distinct Al³⁺-triggered luminescent turn-on response was observed in aqueous media with anti-interference properties.

Conclusions:

• The Eu-TD MOF is a highly selective and sensitive luminescent sensor for Al³⁺.
• The sensing mechanism involves Lewis basic N sites coordinating with Al³⁺, enhancing luminescence.
• Eu-TD demonstrates significant potential for real-time environmental monitoring of Al³⁺.