Bimetallic Cd/Zr-UiO-66 material as a turn-on/off probe for As5+/Fe3+ in organic media

A dual-responsive RhB-doped MOF probe for simultaneous recognition of Cu2+ and Fe3

Based on the dual response of RhB@UiO-67 (1:6) to Cu2+ and Fe3+, a proportional fluorescent probe with (I392/I581) as the output signal was developed to recognize Cu2+ and Fe3+. Developing highly sensitive and selective trace metal ions probes is crucial to human health and ecological sustainability. In this work, a series of ratio fluorescent probes (RhB@UiO-67) were successfully synthesized using a one-pot method to enable fluorescence sensing of Cu2+ and Fe3+ at low concentrations. The proportional fluorescent probe RhB@UiO-67 (1:6) exhibited simultaneous quenching of Cu2+ and Fe3+, which was found to be of interest. Furthermore, the limits of detection (LODs) for Cu2+ and Fe3+ were determined to be 2.76 μM and 0.76 μM, respectively, for RhB@UiO-67 (1:6). These values were significantly superior to those reported for previous sensors, indicating the probe's effectiveness in detecting Cu2+ and Fe3+ in an ethanol medium. Additionally, RhB@UiO-67 (1:6) demonstrated exceptional immunity and reproducibility towards Cu2+ and Fe3+. The observed fluorescence quenching of Cu2+ and Fe3+ was primarily attributed to the mechanisms of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), photoinduced electron transfer (PET), and competitive absorption (CA). This work establishes a valuable foundation for the future study and utilization of Cu2+ and Fe3+ sensing technologies.

Bimetallic Coordination Polymers: Synthesis and Applications in Biosensing and Biomedicine

Bimetallic coordination polymers (CPs) have two different metal ions as connecting nodes in their polymer structure. The synthesis methods of bimetallic CPs are mainly categorized into the one-pot method and post-synthesis modifications according to various needs. Compared with monometallic CPs, bimetallic CPs have synergistic effects and excellent properties, such as higher gas adsorption rate, more efficient catalytic properties, stronger luminescent properties, and more stable loading platforms, which have been widely applied in the fields of gas adsorption, catalysis, energy storage as well as conversion, and biosensing. In recent years, the study of bimetallic CPs synergized with cancer drugs and functional nanomaterials for the therapy of cancer has increasingly attracted the attention of scientists. This review presents the research progress of bimetallic CPs in biosensing and biomedicine in the last five years and provides a perspective for their future development.

Post-synthetic modified luminescent metal-organic framework for the detection of berberine hydrochloride in a traditional Chinese herb

In this work, a novel fluorescence sensor UiO-66-PSM based on post-synthetic modified metal-organic frameworks was prepared for the detection of berberine hydrochloride (BBH) in the traditional Chinese herb Coptis. UiO-66-PSM was synthesized by a simple Schiff base reaction with UiO-66-NH2 and phthalaldehyde (PAD). The luminescence quenching can be attributed to the photo-induced electron transfer process from the ligand of UiO-66-PSM to BBH. The UiO-66-PSM sensor exhibited fast response time, low detection limit, and high selectivity to BBH. Moreover, the UiO-66-PSM sensor was successfully applied to the quantitative detection of BBH in the traditional Chinese herb Coptis, and the detection results obtained from the as-fabricated fluorescence sensing assay were consistent with those of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), indicating that this work has potential applicability for the detection of BBH in traditional Chinese herbs.

Efficient Eu3+-Integrated UiO-66 Probe for Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensing of Styrene and Cyclohexanone

The development of probes with sensitive and prompt detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is of great importance for protecting human health and public security. Herein, we successfully prepared a series of bimetallic lanthanide metal-organic framework (Eu/Zr-UiO-66) by incorporating Eu³⁺ for fluorescence sensing of VOCs (especially styrene and cyclohexanone) using a one-pot method. Based on the multiple fluorescence signal responses of Eu/Zr-UiO-66 toward styrene and cyclohexanone, a ratiometric fluorescence probe using (I₆₁₇/I₃₂₀) and (I₆₁₇/I₃₃₀) as output signals was developed to recognize styrene and cyclohexanone, respectively. Benefitting from the multiple fluorescence response, the limits of detection (LODs) of Eu/Zr-UiO-66 (1:9) for styrene and cyclohexanone were 1.5 and 2.5 ppm, respectively. These are among the lowest reported levels for MOF-based sensors, and this is the first known material for fluorescence sensing of cyclohexanone. Fluorescence quenching by styrene was mainly owing to the large electronegativity of styrene and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). However, FRET was accounted for fluorescence quenching by cyclohexanone. Moreover, Eu/Zr-UiO-66 (1:9) exhibited good anti-interference ability and recycling performance for styrene and cyclohexanone. More importantly, the visual recognition of styrene and EB vapor can be directly realized with the naked eyes using Eu/Zr-UiO-66 (1:9) test strips. This strategy provides a sensitive, selective, and reliable method for the visual sensing of styrene and cyclohexanone.

Research Progress in Fluorescent Probes for Arsenic Species

Arsenic is a toxic non-metallic element that is widely found in nature. In addition, arsenic and arsenic compounds are included in the list of Group I carcinogens and toxic water pollutants. Therefore, rapid and efficient methods for detecting arsenic are necessary. In the past decade, a variety of small molecule fluorescent probes have been developed, which has been widely recognized for their rapidness, efficiency, convenience and sensitivity. With the development of new nanomaterials (AuNPs, CDs and QDs), organic molecules and biomolecules, the conventional detection of arsenic species based on fluorescence spectroscopy is gradually transforming from the laboratory to the portable kit. Therefore, in view of the current research status, this review introduces the research progress of both traditional and newly developed fluorescence spectrometry based on novel materials for arsenic detection, and discusses the potential of this technology in the rapid screening and field testing of water samples contaminated with arsenic. The review also discusses the problems that still exist in this field, as well as the expectations.