Pore-Engineered Luminescent MOF Sensors for PFAS Recognition in Water

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants posing significant risks to ecosystems and human health.
• Luminescent sensing with porous materials offers a sensitive and efficient method for detecting contaminants like PFAS.
• A lack of understanding regarding pore structure-function relationships hinders the rational design of effective PFAS sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the pore structure-function relationship in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for enhanced per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) detection.
• To develop a modular strategy for engineering MOF pore environments to improve PFAS recognition in aqueous solutions.
• To establish design principles for high-performance MOF-based luminescent sensors for PFAS monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a linker installation strategy to create a library of 13 PCN-700 metal-organic framework (MOF) derivatives with systematically varied pore volumes.
• Investigated the impact of pore accessibility and functional group modifications (e.g., amino groups) on luminescent sensing performance for PFAS.
• Analyzed the trade-offs between functional group density and pore accessibility in MOF-based sensors.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that increased pore accessibility in MOFs directly correlates with enhanced sensing performance for PFAS detection.
• Showcased that amino group functionalization in PCN-700 MOFs significantly boosts sensing sensitivity, achieving up to threefold higher quenching efficiencies.
• Identified a critical trade-off between the density of functional groups and pore accessibility, influencing overall sensor efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Precise engineering of MOF pore environments via modular linker installation is a viable strategy for developing advanced PFAS sensors.
• Optimizing pore accessibility and strategic functionalization are key to improving the sensitivity and efficiency of MOF-based luminescent sensors for PFAS.
• The study provides crucial design principles for creating robust and high-performance MOF sensors to address the challenge of PFAS monitoring in water.