Supramolecular Interactions Inside Porous Materials as a Probe for Chemical Sensing

Porous materials are application-based emerging materials. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are among the porous materials utilized for a wide range of applications. Third-generation MOFs that offer unique guest encapsulation abilities have been studied in recent years. Apart from the uniqueness of guest encapsulation, MOFs also have exceptional nomenclature. The self-assembly involved in the MOF units has given rise to supraMOFs that are synthesized through a high-concentration reaction (HCR) approach. Many synthesis routes, including solvothermal, sonochemical, and mechanochemical methods, are applied for the efficient synthesis of MOFs. Characterization techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (P-XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and various other studies prove the efficiency of the applied synthesis methods and the uniqueness of the MOFs obtained. Once the MOF is synthesized, it can be applied to various fields of application, such as sensing, capturing, and biological activity, among which optochemical sensing is the evolving application. Due to the limitations of MOFs in optoelectronic sectors for sensing, many studies are focused on this sector and involve the fabrication of a compact device that makes sensing user-friendly, cost-effective, and suitable for on-site application of the developed MOF sensor (probe). In conclusion, this review discusses the basic introduction to MOFs, the emergence of MOF materials due to the interactions involved in them, and the sensing applications of MOFs that lead to the fabrication of an optoelectronic device.