Issue 6, 2020

Luminescent MOF crystals embedded in PMMA/PDMS transparent films as effective NO2 gas sensors

Abstract

A fluorescent NO2 gas sensor using the metal–organic framework (MOF) Tb(BTC) (BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) as an active material is reported here. The lanthanide MOF crystals have been immobilized in transparent films of two different inert and non-emissive polymers i.e. polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by spin coating Tb(BTC) suspended in the corresponding polymer organic solution onto solid substrates. The presence of the MOF particles in the resulting fluorescent films has been further confirmed by SEM and optical microscopy images. The sensing films exhibit fast and sensitive responses (fluorescence quenching) when exposed to a low concentration of NO2. The dependence of the sensor response on the analyte concentration fitted a two-site Stern–Volmer quenching model from which good calibration curves were obtained. These properties, along with recovery of the sensor emission after gentle heating (50 °C), make these materials realistic candidates for the development of luminescent sensing films based on MOFs.

Graphical abstract: Luminescent MOF crystals embedded in PMMA/PDMS transparent films as effective NO2 gas sensors

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Nov 2019
Accepted
22 Jan 2020
First published
23 Jan 2020

Mol. Syst. Des. Eng., 2020,5, 1048-1056

Luminescent MOF crystals embedded in PMMA/PDMS transparent films as effective NO2 gas sensors

F. G. Moscoso, J. Almeida, A. Sousaraei, T. Lopes-Costa, A. M. G. Silva, J. Cabanillas-Gonzalez, L. Cunha-Silva and J. M. Pedrosa, Mol. Syst. Des. Eng., 2020, 5, 1048 DOI: 10.1039/C9ME00164F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements