A Programmable Luminescent Sensing Platform via Site-Selective Modular Installation in Metal-Organic Frameworks

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are highly versatile for structural engineering, especially in luminescent sensing.
• MOF-based sensors offer rapid responses and well-defined structures for mechanistic studies.
• High synthetic costs for custom MOFs limit their practical application in analyte-specific sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a synthetic methodology for a programmable luminescent sensing platform.
• To overcome the limitations of synthetic cost and customization in MOF-based sensors.
• To enable the development of multifunctional MOF materials with adaptable sensing capabilities.

Main Methods:

• A modular linker installation strategy was employed on a readily modifiable Zr-MOF, PCN-700.
• Twenty pre-designed modules with varied lengths, configurations, and binding linkages were incorporated.
• This approach facilitates the construction of customizable MOF-based sensing materials.

Main Results:

• The modular installation strategy successfully endowed the MOF framework with customizable recognition capabilities.
• The developed platform demonstrated sensitivity to a wide scope of chemical species and physical stimuli.
• The methodology proved generalizable and scalable for creating multifunctional MOF sensors.

Conclusions:

• A scalable and generalizable modular installation approach for MOF synthesis was demonstrated.
• This method enables the creation of multifunctional MOF-based sensing materials with tailored performance.
• The findings address the need for cost-effective and adaptable MOF sensors for practical detection.