Novel core-shell structure microspheres based on lanthanide complexes for white-light emission and fluorescence sensing

Fabrication of a ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe for detecting tryptophan enantiomers

A novel ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe was developed to detect tryptophan enantiomers with high selectivity and sensitivity. Fluorescein (FL) was doped into SiO2 nanoparticles with little dye leakage, acting as an internal reference signal. The chiral center of L-histidine (L-His) was introduced by partially replacing the carboxyl on the surface of SiO2. The response signal of Eu3+ was coordinated with carboxyl to obtain the FL@SiO2-Eu/His nanoprobe. The nanoprobe shows enantioselective luminescence responses for tryptophan enantiomers. The red emission of Eu3+ can be effectively quenched by the tryptophan enantiomers, but the quenching efficiency is different due to the different interactions with the chiral recognition sites. The fluorescence intensity ratio (I613/I515) shows excellent linearity with tryptophan enantiomers in the range of 0-100 μM (R2 > 0.99). The limit of detection (LOD) is 1.0 μM and 1.3 μM for L-tryptophan (L-Trp) and D-tryptophan (D-Trp), respectively. The FL@SiO2-Eu/His nanoprobe shows good selectivity and specific recognition in serum actual samples. In addition, the nanoprobe can realize visual detection under UV light due to the obvious color change. This work provides an innovative idea for the development of new probes in the detection field.

Synthesis of Mesoporous Eu3+-Doped Zinc/Silicate Phosphors for Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of Sulfide Ions

A mesoporous Eu3+-doped zinc/silicate phosphor with a large surface area (>100 m2g-1) and amorphous structure was prepared in an aqueous solution without using any organic template. The residual concentration of the Zn2+ ion in the filtrate is lower than the standard of effluent 3.5 ppm under a pH 8-11 preparation condition. When a sulfide ion (S2-) is present in aqueous solution, the phosphor can react with the sulfide ion to transform from the amorphous structure to the crystalline ZnS, which causes structural transformation and a subsequent decrease in luminescent intensity. This distinct phosphor with a high surface area and amorphous structure can be applied through the structure transformation mechanism for highly selective and sensitive detection of the sulfide ions at low concentrations. In addition, the luminescent efficiency was obtained from adjustments in the pH value, calcination temperature, and Eu3+ ion concentration. The quenching efficiency, the limit of detection (CLOD), S2- ion selectivity, and phosphor regeneration ability were systematically explored in sulfide ion detection tests. Due to the novel S2- ion-induced structural transformation, we found that the amorphous Eu3+-doped zinc/silicate phosphors demonstrate a CLOD sensitivity as low as 1.8 × 10-7 M and a high Stern-Volmer constant (KSV) of 3.1 × 104 M-1. Furthermore, the phosphors were easily regenerated through simple calcination at 500 °C and showed a KSV value of 1.4 × 104 M-1. Overall, the Eu3+-doped zinc/silicates showed many advantageous properties for detecting sulfide ions, including low toxicity, green synthesis, good selectivity, high sensitivity, and good renewability.

Self-Calibrating Lanthanide Infinite Coordination Polymer Constructs Fluorescent Probes: A Sensitive Approach for Early Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Environmental Analysis

The development of a self-calibrating ratio fluorescence probe without the need for additional substrates is a major advancement in biosensing. In this study, at room temperature, a self-calibrating infinite coordination polymer (SSA-Tb-ATP ICPs) has been proposed by self-assembling adenosine triphosphate (ATP) with 5-sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) and Tb3+. Due to the antenna effect, SSA-Tb-ATP ICPs exhibited strong green fluorescence emission of Tb3+ (at 547 nm) and blue fluorescence emission of SSA (at 407 nm). This material offers several advantages over existing detection methods, including simplicity of synthesis and exceptional sensitivity. Our self-calibrating SSA-Tb-ATP ICPs demonstrated excellent performance in detecting alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and phosphate (Pi) in both serum and environmental samples with detection limits of 0.076 U/L and 0.025 μM, respectively. Moreover, we successfully employed the SSA-Tb-ATP ICPs to perform cellular imaging of ALP in both hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) and normal liver cells (LO2), representing a significant advancement in ALP detection and imaging. The simplicity of the synthesis and high sensitivity make this probe a promising tool for early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in clinical settings and environment analysis.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dots Encapsulated a Polyoxomolybdate-Based Coordination Polymer as a Sensitive Platform for Trace Tetracycline Determination in Water

The requirement of simple, efficient and accurate detection of tetracycline (TC) in water environments poses new challenges for sensing platform development. Here, we report a simple method for TC sensing via fluorescence detection based on metal-organic coordination polymers (MOCPs, (4-Hap)4(Mo8O26)) coated with nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs). These NCDs@(4-Hap)4(Mo8O26) composites showed excellent luminescence features of NCDs with stable bright-blue emission under UV light. The results of the sensing experiment showed that the fluorescence of NCDs@(4-Hap)4(Mo8O26) can be quenched by TC (166 µM) with 94.1% quenching efficiency via the inner filter effect (IFE) in a short time (10 s), with a detection limit (LOD) of 33.9 nM in a linear range of 8-107 µM. More significantly, NCDs@(4-Hap)4(Mo8O26) showed a high selectivity for TC sensing in the presence of anions and metal cations commonly found in water environments and can be reused in at least six cycles after washing with alcohol. The potential practicality of NCDs@(4-Hap)4(Mo8O26) was verified by sensing TC in real water samples with the standard addition method, and satisfactory recoveries from 91.95% to 104.72% were obtained.

A core-shell structure ratiometric fluorescent probe based on carbon dots and Tb3+ for the detection of anthrax biomarker

A novel core-shell structure ratiometric fluorescent probe was developed, which can selectively and sensitively detect 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA) as an anthrax biomarker. Carbon dots (CDs) was embedded into SiO₂ nanoparticles, which was acted as an internal reference signal. Tb³⁺ with green emission was connected to the carboxyl functionalized SiO₂, which was acted as a responsive signal. With the addition of DPA, the emission of CDs at 340 nm was unchanged, while the fluorescence of Tb³⁺ at 544 nm was enhanced by the antenna effect. In the concentration range of 0.1-2 μM, the fluorescence intensity ratio of I₅₄₄/I₃₄₀ showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of DPA, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 10.2 nM. In addition, the dual-emission probe showed an obvious fluorescence color change from colourless to green with increasing DPA under UV light, which enabled visual detection.

Rare-Earth hydroxide nanosheets based ratio fluorescence nanoprobe for dipicolinic acid detection

We demonstrate a novel ratio fluorescence nanoprobe for dipicolinic acid (DPA) as an anthrax biomarker based on layered rare-earth hydroxide (LRH). 3-Amino-benzenesulfonic acid (AS) was intercalated into layered terbium hydroxide to form composite and then delaminated into nanosheets in formamide. The monolayer nanosheets were beneficial to expose the Ln³⁺ luminescence centers to the environment more completely, contributing a high sensitive detection to the environment. With the increase of DPA concentration, the emission intensity of AS kept constant which worked as a stable internal reference, while the fluorescence of Tb³⁺ was enhanced obviously due to the antenna effect. In the 0.05-5.0 μM concentration range, the I₅₄₄/I₃₆₀ fluorescence ratio changed with the DPA concentration, which exhibited a good linear relationship (R² = 0.999) and an ultralow detection limit of 3.8 nM. In addition, the probe showed high selectivity and sensitivity to the DPA detection as an anthrax biomarker, which can be applied in real tap water with good performances. This work could extend the applications of LRH nanosheets in detection and offer an extremely effective and easy technique for detecting DPA.

Uniform Core-Shell Microspheres of SiO2@MOF for CO2 Cycloaddition Reactions

A SiO₂@MOF core-shell microsphere for environmentally friendly applications was introduced in this study. Several types of metal-organic framework core-shell microspheres were successfully synthesized. To achieve high stability and favorable catalytic performance, modification and coating methods were necessary for optimization. The improved SiO₂@MOF core-shell microspheres were used in the cycloaddition reaction of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide. Dispersion ability was enhanced by the addition of core-shell microspheres, which also produced high catalytic activity. Accompanied with tetrabutylammonium bromide as a co-catalyst, SiO₂@ZIF-67 had a maximum conversion of 97%, and the results revealed that SiO₂@ZIF-67 could be used for 5 reaction cycles while maintaining high catalytic performance. This recycling catalyst was also reacted with a series of terminal epoxides to form corresponding cyclic carbonates with high conversion rates, indicating that SiO₂@MOF core-shell microspheres exhibit promise in the field of catalysis.

Insights on Luminescent Micro- and Nanospheres of Infinite Coordination Polymers

Coordination polymers have been extensively studied in recent years. Some of these materials can exhibit several properties such as permanent porosity, high surface area, thermostability and light emission, as well as open sites for chemical functionalization. Concerning the fact that this kind of compounds are usually solids, the size and morphology of the particles are important parameters when an application is desired. Inside this context, there is a subclass of coordination polymers, named infinite coordination polymers (ICPs), which auto-organize as micro- or nanoparticles with low crystallinity. Specifically, the particles exhibiting spherical shapes and reduced sizes can be better dispersed, enter cells much easier than bulk crystals and be converted to inorganic materials by topotactic transformation. Luminescent ICPs, in particular, can find applications in several areas, such as sensing probes, light-emitting devices and bioimaging. In this review, we present the state-of-the-art of ICP-based spherical particles, including the growth mechanisms, some applications for luminescent ICPs and the challenges to overcome in future commercial usage of these materials.

Luminescence response mode and chemical sensing mechanism for lanthanide-functionalized metal–organic framework hybrids

This comprehensive review systematically summarizes the luminescence response mode and chemical sensing mechanism for lanthanide-functionalized MOF hybrids (abbreviated as LnFMOFH).

Ultrasensitive detection of Cr(VI) (Cr2O72-/CrO42-) ions in water environment with a fluorescent sensor based on metal-organic frameworks combined with sulfur quantum dots

Accurate, simple and quick detection methods for Cr(VI) detection are urgently needed for water quality monitoring. Herein, a novel and facile method of detecting Cr(VI) (Cr₂O₇^2-/CrO₄^2-) ions is developed via the fluorescent detection technology based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) doped with sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) (SQDs@UiO-66-NH₂). The blue-light-emitting SQDs@UiO-66-NH₂ composites exhibit excellent fluorescent properties in water environment with high quantum yield (68%) and ideal fluorescent stability, thus demonstrating excellent potential for serving as a chemical sensor. After characterizing the performance and stability of SQDs@UiO-66-NH₂, qualitative and quantitative detection of Cr₂O₇^2- and CrO₄^2- ions was successfully conducted. The fluorescence of SQDs@UiO-66-NH₂ composites in aqueous solution was quenched effectively with more than 90% quenching efficiency by Cr(VI) via the inner filter effect. The detection system provides considerable advantages such as rapid response (10 s), high sensitivity with a low detection limit of 0.16 μM in a broad linear range of 0-200 μM (R² = 0.99) for Cr₂O₇^2- and 0.17 μM for CrO₄^2- in a broad linear range of 0-220 μM (R² = 0.99), high selectivity and reproducibility for at least five cycles with simple washing with alcohol. In practical applications, the sensor showed rapid response, high sensitivity and excellent recoveries (96.7%-105.4%) for detecting Cr₂O₇^2- in real water samples. Furthermore, a SQDs@UiO-66-NH₂-based fluorescent test paper was successfully developed, providing a simple, reliable and portable method for Cr(VI) (Cr₂O₇^2-/CrO₄^2-) detection in water environment.

Redox-Based Electrochemical Affinity Sensor for Detection of Aqueous Pertechnetate Anion

Rapid, selective, and in situ detection of pertechnetate (TcO₄^-) in multicomponent matrices consisting of interfering anions such as the ubiquitous NO₃^- and Cl^- or the isostructural CrO₄^2- is challenging. Present sensors lack the selectivities to exclude these interferences or the sensitivities to meet detection limits that are lower than the drinking water standards across the globe. This work presents an affinity-based electrochemical sensor for TcO₄^- detection that relies on selective reductive precipitation of aqueous TcO₄^- induced by a 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol capture probe immobilized on an electrode platform. This results in a direct decrease in the electron transfer current, the magnitude of the decrease being proportional to the amount of TcO₄^- added. Using this approach, a detection limit of 1 × 10^-10 M was achieved, which is lower than the drinking water standard of 5.2 × 10^-10 M set by United States Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed approach shows selectivity to the TcO₄^- anion, allowing detection of TcO₄^- from a multicomponent groundwater sample obtained from a well at the Hanford site in Washington (well 299-W19-36) that also contained NO₃^-, Cl^-, and CrO₄^2-, without discernably affecting the detection limits.

Lanthanide functionalized MOF thin films as effective luminescent materials and chemical sensors for ammonia

A series of Lanthanide functionalized MOF thin films on Al₂O₃ are fabricated using designed linkers, whose unique luminescence performance is shown to be a sensitive probe toward ammonia.

Design of core–shell phosphors with tunable luminescence and improved thermal stability by coating with g-C3N4

We propose and demonstrate a novel methodology of coating g-C₃N₄ on phosphors by a vapor deposition method to synthesize core–shell phosphors with tunable luminescence and improved thermal stability.

Functional Metal Organic Framework/SiO2 Nanocomposites: From Versatile Synthesis to Advanced Applications

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs), also called porous coordination polymers, have attracted extensive attention as molecular-level organic-inorganic hybrid supramolecular solid materials bridged by metal ions/clusters and organic ligands. Given their advantages, such as their high specific surface area, high porosity, and open active metal sites, MOFs offer great potential for gas storage, adsorption, catalysis, pollute removal, and biomedicine. However, the relatively weak stability and poor mechanical property of most MOFs have limited the practical application of such materials. Recently, the combination of MOFs with inorganic materials has been found to provide a possible strategy to solve such limitations. Silica, which has excellent chemical stability and mechanical properties, shows great advantages in compounding with MOFs to improve their properties and performance. It not only provides structured support for MOF materials but also improves the stability of materials through hydrophobic interaction or covalent bonding. This review summarizes the fabrication strategy, structural characteristics, and applications of MOF/silica composites, focusing on their application in chromatographic column separation, catalysis, biomedicine, and adsorption. The challenges of the application of MOF/SiO2 composites are addressed, and future developments are prospected.

Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of PO4 3- Ions in Aqueous Solution by a Luminescent Terbium Metal-Organic Framework

A luminescent terbium metal-organic framework [Tb(HPIA-)(PIA2-)(H2O)2] (Tb-MOF), synthesized by a lanthanide metal ion (Tb3+) and nitric heterocyclic carboxylic acid ligands H2PIA (H2PIA = 5-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)isophthalic-acid), was structurally characterized as a three-dimensional skeleton structure in which layered coordination frameworks are connected by hydrogen bonds. Based on the antenna effect, Tb-MOF can emit bright green fluorescence under 254 nm excitation, and the fluorescence emission presents excellent durability in aqueous solutions among a wide pH range. Moreover, the structure of Tb-MOF also possesses outstanding thermal stabilities. In some ways, PO4 3- and its derivatives are thought to be a kind of pollutant ion causing series environmental and health problems. The as-synthesized Tb-MOF exhibits prominent selectivity and remarkable sensitivity for detecting PO4 3- as an easy-to-use fluorescent probe with low detection limit, fast response, and wide detection range. Therefore, Tb-MOF has significant applications in the fields of human health and environmental monitoring.

A Water-Stable Terbium(III)-Organic Framework as a Chemosensor for Inorganic Ions, Nitro-Containing Compounds and Antibiotics in Aqueous Solutions

Effective detection of organic/inorganic pollutants, such as antibiotics, nitro-compounds, excessive Fe³⁺ and MnO₄ ^- , is crucial for human health and environmental protection. Here, a new terbium(III)-organic framework, namely [Tb(TATAB)(H₂ O)]⋅2H₂ O (Tb-MOF, H₃ TATAB=4,4',4''-s-triazine-1,3,5-triyltri-m-aminobenzoic acid), was assembled and characterized. The Tb-MOF exhibits a water-stable 3D bnn framework. Due to the existence of competitive absorption, Tb-MOF has a high selectivity for detecting Fe³⁺ , MnO₄ ^- , 4-nirophenol and nitroimidazole (ronidazole, metronidazole, dimetridazole, ornidazole) in aqueous through luminescent quenching. The results suggest that Tb-MOF is a simple and reliable reagent with multiple sensor responses in practical applications. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first Tb^III -based MOF as an efficient fluorescent sensor for detecting metal ions, inorganic anions, nitro-compounds, and antibiotics simultaneously.

Floral and lamellar europium(iii)-based metal–organic frameworks as high sensitivity luminescence sensors for acetone

Floral Eu-BDC and lamellar Eu-BTC as high sensitivity luminescence sensor for acetone.

White-Light Emitting Di-Ureasil Hybrids

White-light emitting materials have emerged as important components for solid state lighting devices with high potential for the replacement of conventional light sources. Herein, amine-functionalized organic-inorganic di-ureasil hybrids consisting of a siliceous skeleton and oligopolyether chains codoped with lanthanide-based complexes, with Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions and 4,4'-oxybis(benzoic acid) and 1,10-phenanthroline ligands, and the coumarin 1 dye were synthesized by in situ sol⁻gel method. The resulting luminescent di-ureasils show red, green, and blue colors originated from the Eu3+, Tb3+, and C1 emissions, respectively. The emission colors can be modulated either by variation of the relative concentration between the emitting centers or by changing the excitation wavelength. White light emission is achieved under UV excitation with absolute quantum yields of 0.148 ± 0.015, 0.167 ± 0.017, and 0.202 ± 0.020 at 350, 332, and 305 nm excitation, respectively. The emission mechanism was investigated by photoluminescence and UV⁻visible absorption spectroscopy, revealing an efficient energy transfer from the organic ligands to the Ln3+ ions and the organic dye, whereas negligible interaction between the dopants is discerned. The obtained luminescent di-ureasils have potential for optoelectronic applications, such as in white-light emitting diodes.

Tuning the luminescence properties of lanthanide coordination polymers with Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles

A series of core-shell Ag@SiO₂ nanoparticles with different core diameters and shell thicknesses have been prepared by a modified-Stöber method. They provide a facile route to tune the luminescence intensities, lifetimes and quantum efficiencies of lanthanide coordination polymers in the solid powder state. The coordination polymers [Tb₂(p-PTA)₃(H₂O)₂]_n, [Tb₂(o-PTA)₃(H₂O)₂]_n, [Eu₂(p-PTA)₃(H₂O)₂]_n and [Eu₂(o-PTA)₃(H₂O)₂]_n (PTA = phthalic acid) are synthesized and subsequently bound to the surface of Ag@SiO₂ nanoparticles. The luminescence intensities of the lanthanide complexes are enhanced as high as 10.8 times. The enhancement times depend on the core diameter and shell thickness of the Ag@SiO₂ nanoparticles. Importantly, by simply controlling the ratios between the complexes and the nanoparticles, the luminescence intensities, lifetimes and quantum efficiencies of the lanthanide complexes can be tuned in wide ranges. Typically, the luminescence lifetime of [Eu₂(p-PTA)₃(H₂O)₂]_n powder increases from 451 μs to 783 μs when 300 μL Ag@SiO₂ solution is added. Meanwhile, the luminescence quantum efficiency of the complex increases from 32.1% to 40.9%. The change of the luminescence properties of the lanthanide coordination polymers can be ascribed to the surface plasmon resonance effect of the Ag@SiO₂ nanoparticles as well as the decrease of the nonradiative decay rates of the complexes.

Porous organic polymers based on melamine and 5,5′-bis(bromomethyl)-2,2′-bipyridine: functionalization with lanthanide ions for chemical sensing and highly efficient adsorption of methyl orange

Microporous POP-1 displays extremely fast adsorption of MO dyes. Moreover, Eu³⁺@POP-1 for chemical sensing can be easily prepared by a postsynthetic method.

Eu3+ functionalized Sc-MOFs: Turn-on fluorescent switch for ppb-level biomarker of plastic pollutant polystyrene in serum and urine and on-site detection by smartphone

The harm of plastic pollutants for human and environment is being paid more and more attention. Polystyrene (PS) and styrene are toxic compounds used in large quantities in the production of fiberglass reinforced polyesters. In this work, a simple method was designed for independent detecting polystyrene and styrene biomarker (phenylglyoxylic acid, PGA) in serum and urine. We prepared Eu3+ functionalized Sc-based metal-organic frameworks as turn-on fluorescent switch for PGA. The distinct enhanced luminescence is observed from the Eu@MOFs with addition of PGA. The fabricated fluorescent switch has several appealing features including high sensitivity (LOD = 4.16 ppb), quick response time (less than 5s) and broad linear range (0.02mg/mL to 0.5mg/mL). Furthermore, Eu@MOFs exhibits excellent selectivity that it is not affected by congeneric biomarkers. More interestingly, a paper-based probe has been devised. The paper-based fluorescence probe would perform an obvious fluorescence change from navy to red with the variety of PGA content. The practicability of the on-site detection platform for quantitative analysis using a colour scanning APP in smartphone has been also demonstrated by coupled with our proposed paper based fluorescence probe. This work first provides a fast, accurate and sensitive method for independent monitoring PS biomarker PGA, and the paper-based probe exhibit a new idea for design portable and easy to operate sensing devices combine with smartphone.

A postsynthetically modified MOF hybrid as a ratiometric fluorescent sensor for anion recognition and detection

MIL-125(Ti)-AM-Eu, which is derive from MIL-125(Ti)-NH₂ by covalent postsynthetic modification, is synthesized and exhibit excellent photoluminescence features. It have been designed to be a ratiometric fluorescent sensor (I_L/I_Eu) for sensitively detecting phosphate and oxalate with a proposed dual-readout orthogonal identification pattern.