An Encyclopedic Compendium on Chemosensing Supramolecular Metal-Organic Gels

Chemosensing, an interdisciplinary scientific domain, plays a pivotal role ranging from environmental monitoring to healthcare diagnostics and (inter)national security. Metal-organic gels (MOGs) are recognized for their stability, selectivity, and responsiveness, making them valuable for chemosensing applications. Researchers have explored the development of MOGs based on different metal ions and ligands, allowing for tailored properties and sensitivities, and have even demonstrated their applications as portable sensors such as paper-based test strips for practical use. Herein, several studies related to MOGs development and their applications in the chemosensing field via UV-visible or luminance along with electrochemical approach are presented. These papers explored MOGs as versatile materials with their use in sensing bio or environmental analytes. This review provides a foundational understanding of key concepts, methodologies, and recent advancements in this field, fostering the scientific community.

Concealed fluorescent anti-counterfeiting paper prepared by loading perovskite and lead-metal-organic framework on cellulose fibers

Counterfeiting has caused great concern all over the world. What's more, the fluorescent materials play an important role in technological research and development for high-security. In this work, lead-metal-organic framework (Pb-MOF) and perovskite (MAPbBr3) were used in papers to achieving fluorescence counterfeiting. Pb-MOF, as the template or precursor of MAPbBr3, were in-situ generated on the surface of cellulose fibers (CFs) to preparing into hand sheets (Pb-MOF@CFs). Through the analysis of experimental results, it was found that ligands, reaction systems, addition sequences of drugs, time, etc. would affect the deposition of Pb-MOF on the surface of CFs. Using CH3NH3Br (MABr) as the anti-counterfeiting ink to write on Pb-MOF@CFs, the orange writing leaped across the paper, which caused by Pb in Pb-MOF chemically reacting with MABr forming MAPbBr3. The orange writing displayed green fluorescence under 365 nm ultraviolet lamp excitation. The orange writing with green fluorescence could be extinguished and reconstructed, which had promise for reuse. In addition, fluorescent security papers (MAPbBr3@Pb-MOFs@CFs) were prepared by immersing Pb-MOF@CFs in MABr solution. The fluorescence of MAPbBr3@Pb-MOFs@CFs opened when the surface of it was scraped under 365 nm ultraviolet lamp. This unique fluorescence property was very important in improving the security of products. Consequently, the ongoing research on perovskite and MOFs materials is of great significance.

Visual fluorescence detection of ciprofloxacin by Zn-metal-organic framework@nanocellulose transparent films based on aggregation-induced emission

The invention and production of Ciprofloxacin (CIP) have a positive impact on medical treatment, but the overuse of CIP is also harmful to the environment. In this paper, we prepared a novel film material for detection of CIP by in situ synthesis of zinc-based metal-organic framework (Zn-BDC) on TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF). The nanoscale Zn-BDC were uniformly distributed on the TOCNF that was beneficial to realize the transparency and functionality of Zn-BDC@TOCNF whose transparency was up to 87 %. Zn-BDC@TOCNF showed no fluorescence itself while showed bright fluorescence upon the contact of CIP, which was proposed as the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of CIP that defused and assembled in the Zn-BDC@TOCNF. There was a certain linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and concentration of CIP (R2 = 0.994, LOD = 0.083 μM). In the detection process, CIP could still fluoresce in Zn-BDC@TOCNF even if it was interfered by other ions and small biological molecules, and the weak acid environment was conducive to AIE of CIP. Generally, it was of great significance to establish a rapid and effective monitoring mechanism for CIP in water for environmental protection and ecological balance.

Metal-Organic Framework Gels for Adsorption and Catalytic Detoxification of Chemical Warfare Agents: A Review

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) have brought great threats to human life and social stability, and it is critical to investigate protective materials. MOF (metal-organic framework) gels are a class with an extended MOF architecture that are mainly formed using metal-ligand coordination as an effective force to drive gelation, and these gels combine the unique characteristics of MOFs and organic gel materials. They have the advantages of a hierarchically porous structure, a large specific surface area, machinable block structures and rich metal active sites, which inherently meet the requirements for adsorption and catalytic detoxification of CWAs. A series of advances have been made in the adsorption and catalytic detoxification of MOF gels as chemical warfare agents; however, overall, they are still in their infancy. This review briefly introduces the latest advances in MOF gels, including pure MOF gels and MOF composite gels, and discusses the application of MOF gels in the adsorption and catalytic detoxification of CWAs. Meanwhile, the influence of microstructures (pore structures, metal active site, etc.) on the detoxification performance of protective materials is also discussed, which is of great significance in the exploration of high-efficiency protective materials. Finally, the review looks ahead to next priorities. Hopefully, this review can inspire more and more researchers to enrich the performance of MOF gels for applications in chemical protection and other purification and detoxification processes.

Hierarchical porous metal–organic gels and derived materials: from fundamentals to potential applications

This review summarizes recent progress in the development and applications of metal–organic gels (MOGs) and their hybrids and derivatives dividing them into subclasses and discussing their synthesis, design and structure–property relationship.

Fluorescence quenching based detection of nitroaromatics using luminescent triphenylamine carboxylic acids

Detection of nitroaromatics employing greener techniques has been one of the most active research fields in chemistry. A series of triphenylamine (TPA) functionalized carboxylic acids were synthesized and characterized using various spectroscopic techniques including single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The interaction of carboxylic acid-decorated TPAs with nitroaromatic compounds was photophysically explored using absorption and emission spectroscopy. Stern–Volmer plot accounts for the appreciable quenching constant of the TPA-acids. Density functional theory calculations were carried out to study the new compounds' frontier molecular orbital energy levels and the possible interactions with picrate anion and revealed an unusual charge transfer interaction between acids and picrate anion. The contact mode detection shows the TPA-acids can be used as dip-strip sensors for picric acid detection.

Long-Term Stability Monitoring of Printed Proteins on Paper-Based Membranes

Monitoring of long-term stability of proteins on paper-based membranes is important as it is directly related to paper-based sensor fabrication. By using a simple piezo printhead inkjet printer, recombinant proteins and antibodies were printed on paper-based membranes to test their stability and sensitivity under varying lengths of storage and temperature conditions. Our data show that a printed IgG-HRP antibody on simple printing paper maintains >50% functionality up to ∼2 months under 4 and -20 °C storage. Antibodies printed on polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and nitrocellulose showed 5.3 and 9.7% decreases, respectively, in initial signal intensities compared to printing paper. Prostate-specific membrane antigen and tumor necrosis factor alpha recombinant proteins printed on paper-based membranes can be detected by antibodies, and antibody signal intensities can be detected up to 28 days after storage at 4 and -20 °C when printed on PVDF membrane or printing paper. These data suggest that printed proteins on simple printing paper and PVDF membrane can maintain their functionality up to few months when stored at 4 °C or lower and can be potentially applied in paper-based sensor development.

Facile Fabrication of a Multifunctional Metal-Organic Framework-based Sensor Exhibiting Exclusive Solvochromic Behaviors toward Ketone Molecules

To probe the efficient strategy for preparing a multifunctional sensing material, the facile synthesis strategies and successful examples are urgently required. Through the utilization of a hexadentate ligand derived from cyclotriphosphazene, which displays spiral configurations and multiple connection modes, a novel metal-organic framework (MOF) was constructed via one-step synthesis from low-cost raw materials. The presence of multiple interaction sites decorating the helical channels of the reported MOF gives rise to exclusive solvochromic-sensing behavior for small ketone molecules such as acetone, acetophenone, and 2,5-diketohexane. Additionally, the helical structure of a manganese-carboxylate chain allows for the pore volume not only be available for the adsorption of large organic molecules but also enables the enantiopure selective separation of 1-phenylethanol (ee 35.99 %). Furthermore, the structural analysis of the acetophenone-encapsulated sample allowed the solvochromic mechanism to be elucidated, which should be ascribed to the strong hydrogen-bonding interaction between the guest molecules and specific sites on a host matrix. The experimental results have not only clearly manifested the vital role of starting materials of MOFs, including the connection modes and spatial configuration, but also have provided very valuable insight for the future assembly of novel multifunctional sensing materials.

Luminescent Sodium Deoxycholate Ionogel Induced by Eu3+ in Ethylammonium Nitrate

Hydrogels based on bile salts and lanthanide ions have been reported for their easy gelation. However, the weak mechanical properties and water quenching to luminescence of lanthanide ions limit their applications in practice. Hence, a supramolecular ionogel has been prepared here through simply mixing of sodium deoxycholate and europium nitrate in a protic ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate (EAN). The prepared ionogel was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, fluorescence spectroscopy, and rheological measurements. Such an ionogel resulted synergistically from metal coordination and hydrogen bonding. The effect of the solvent structure on gel properties was also explored by comparison with those formed in alkylammonium nitrates with longer chains. EAN was found to behave more effectively both as a solvent and a bridge to enhance the ionogel mechanical strength. The ionogels also exhibited better fluorescent properties than those of the corresponding hydrogels. The obtained results should expand the applications of lanthanide-containing luminescent soft materials in nonaqueous media. It is expected to apply in the fields of solid electrolytes, biosensors, and optics response.

Enzyme-induced dual-network ε-poly-l-lysine-based hydrogels with robust self-healing and antibacterial performance

An enzyme-induced strategy is reported to construct novel self-mending hydrogels based on ε-poly-l-lysine with both excellent self-healing properties (95%) and antibacterial capacity. Most importantly, the hydrogels are able to accelerate wound healing efficiently, which shows great potential in myriad biomedical fields, such as wound repair, artificial skin, and tissue engineering.

Supramolecular metallogels with bulk self-healing properties prepared by in situ metal complexation

In this feature article, we discuss a series of contributions dealing with the in situ fabrication of supramolecular metallogels (i.e. using low molecular weight ligands and metal ions) that show self-healing properties of the bulk gel phase after complete physical segregation. Most of the advances in this area have taken place during the last three years and are mainly represented by organogels, whereas examples of hydrogels and organic-aqueous gels are still a minority. In situ gelation via metal-coordination of low molecular weight compounds is conceptually different from the use of premade (e.g. in solution) coordination polymers and polymeric structures as gelators and ligands, respectively. In the case of in situ gelation, the cooperative effects of all components of the mixture (i.e. ligand, metal ion, counterions and solvent molecules) in an appropriate ratio under well-defined experimental conditions play a crucial role in the gelation phenomenon and self-healing properties of the material.

Control of the mechanical strength of a bipyridine-based polymeric gel from linear nanofibre to helix with a chiral dopant

A mixture of building blocks 1 and 2 having hydrazine moieties and aldehyde moieties, respectively, formed a gel by a hydrazone reaction in the absence and presence of cyclohexane diamines as chiral dopants and Fe(2+). In particular, the mechanical strength of the helical gel prepared from 1 and 2 in the presence of a chiral dopant and Fe(2+) was ca. 10-fold stronger as compared to that of the gel prepared from the building blocks 1 and 2 without a chiral dopant and Fe(2+). The improved mechanical strength was attributed to the formation of a helix. The results indicate that the mechanical strength of gels obtained by hydrazone reaction could be controlled by a chiral dopant and Fe(2+).

Coordination-induced gelation of an l-glutamic acid Schiff base derivative: the anion effect and cyanide-specific selectivity

Three metallogels, ZnG, CuG and Zn-CuG, were prepared in the presence of specific anions, with their efficacy linked to the Hofmeister series. Importantly, Zn-CuG gel could fluorescently detect CN⁻ with specific selectivity.

Metal–organic frameworks based luminescent materials for nitroaromatics sensing

During the various applications of MOFs, the photoluminescence properties of MOFs have received growing attention, especially for nitroaromatics (NACs) sensing. In this highlight, we summarize the progress in recent research in NACs sensing based on MOFs and sensing applications for nano-MOF type materials and MOF film.

Metal-organic fireworks: MOFs as integrated structural scaffolds for pyrotechnic materials

A new approach to formulating pyrotechnic materials is presented whereby constituent ingredients are bound together in a solid-state lattice. This reduces the batch inconsistencies arising from the traditional approach of combining powders by ensuring the key ingredients are 'mixed' in appropriate quantities and are in intimate contact. Further benefits of these types of material are increased safety levels as well as simpler logistics, storage and manufacture. A systematic series of new frameworks comprising fuel and oxidiser agents (group 1 and 2 metal nodes & terephthalic acid derivatives as linkers) has been synthesised and structurally characterised. These new materials have been assessed for pyrotechnic effect by calorimetry and burn tests. Results indicate that these materials exhibit the desired pyrotechnic material properties and the effect can be correlated to the dimensionality of the structure. A new approach to formulating pyrotechnic materials is proposed whereby constituent ingredients are bound together in a solid-state lattice. A series of Metal-organic framework frameworks comprising fuel and oxidiser agents exhibits the desired properties of a pyrotechnic material and this effect is correlated to the dimensionality of the structure.

Hydrogels Triggered by Metal Ions as Precursors of Network CuS for DNA Detection

The gelation behavior of lithocholate (LC(-) ) with different metal ions in water was investigated. The microstructures of hydrogels were determined to be three-dimensional (3D) networks of fibrous aggregates. The formation of fibrils was speculated to be mainly driven by the coordination between carboxylate of LC(-) and metal ions, accompanied by the assistance of noncovalent interactions such as electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The hydrogels, which can maintain the mechanical strength at higher temperature, exhibit thermal stability. Their gelation capability was enhanced with the increase in acidity. The hydrogels of LC(-) and Cu(2+) mixtures served as the precursors for producing network nanostructures of CuS nanoparticles. These new CuS networks exhibit high fluorescence quenching ability and can act as an effective fluorescent sensing platform for ssDNA detection.

Supramolecular gels with high strength by tuning of calix[4]arene-derived networks

Supramolecular gels comprised of low-molecular-weight gelators are generally regarded as mechanically weak and unable to support formation of free-standing structures, hence, their practical use with applied loads has been limited. Here, we reveal a technique for in situ generation of high tensile strength supramolecular hydrogels derived from low-molecular-weight gelators. By controlling the concentration of hydrochloric acid during hydrazone formation between calix-[4]arene-based gelator precursors, we tune the mechanical and ductile properties of the resulting gel. Organogels formed without hydrochloric acid exhibit impressive tensile strengths, higher than 40 MPa, which is the strongest among self-assembled gels. Hydrogels, prepared by solvent exchange of organogels in water, show 7,000- to 10,000-fold enhanced mechanical properties because of further hydrazone formation. This method of molding also allows the gels to retain shape after processing, and furthermore, we find organogels when prepared as gel electrolytes for lithium battery applications to have good ionic conductivity.

The physical properties of gel materials makes them attractive options in various applications, but supramolecular gels typically lack mechanical strength. Here, the authors present a calix[4]arene-based supramoleculer gel tuned to possess high tensile strength.

Diazopyridine–Ni(ii) complexes exhibiting intra-chain ferromagnetic interaction after irradiation: formation of magnetic gel

The gel of a diazopyridine–Ni(ii) complex in EtOH–20% CH₂Cl₂ solution showed the magnetic behavior of a ferromagnetic chain with the correlation length of 5–6 units after irradiation, suggesting the formation of magnetic gel.

Luminescent Zn(ii)–terpyridine metal–organic gel for visual recognition of anions

Luminescent metal–organic gels (MOGs), which is comprised of zinc ion and Hcptpy, can widely differentiate anions in two steps, which is visible with the naked eye.

Novel metal–organic framework with tunable fluorescence property: supramolecular signaling platform for polynitrophenolics

With the aid of a rotational C₃-symmetric tricarboxytriphenylamine based ligand, a new Cd-MOF was synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques as well as by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

Deprotonation-triggered Stokes shift fluorescence of an unexpected basic-stable metal-organic framework

A new three-dimensional porous metal-organic framework, JUC-119, constructed by a pyrene-based dendritic organic linker, H8TIAPy (H8TIAPy = 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(3,5-isophthalic acid)pyrene), and Eu(III) has been synthesized successfully. JUC-119 shows unexpected stability under a wide range of basic conditions from 0 to 0.01 M NaOH. Furthermore, with two carboxyl groups uncoordinated in each ligand, the crystals of JUC-119 show deprotonation-triggered Stokes shift fluorescence under basic conditions. As the concentration of base increases from 0 to 0.01 M NaOH, the luminescence emission of JUC-119 becomes gradually red shifted from 455 to 485 nm. In addition, the Stokes shift shows a good linear relationship to -log[OH(-)], which makes JUC-119 promising for base sensing.

Competitive coordination control of the AIE and micro states of supramolecular gel: an efficient approach for reversible dual-channel stimuli-response materials

An organogelator (G2) based on multi self-assembly driving forces, fluorescent signal groups and coordination binding sites was designed and synthesized. G2 could form a stable Cd(2+)-coordinated supramolecular metallogel (CdG) accompanied by strong brilliant blue aggregation-induced fluorescence emission (AIE). By the competitive coordination of Cd(2+) with gelator and I(−), the AIE of CdG could be reversibly switched "on-off-on" under gel–gel states via alternative adding I(−) and Cd(2+) into CdG. Interestingly, because of the competitive coordination of Cd(2+) with I(−), the micro structure of the CdG xerogel carried out dramatic changes and formed lots of micro cavities. These micro cavities could absorb iodine vapour and caused the color of CdG xerogel change from white to brown. The CdG could not only act as a convenient high selective and sensitive I(-) detection test kit (detection limit for I(-) is 1.0 × 10(-7) M) but also as rewritable dual-channel security display materials.