Fluorescent metal–organic frameworks based on mixed organic ligands: new candidates for highly sensitive detection of TNP

Abstract

In this study, by employing mixed organic ligands through rational design and metal ions as the initial reactants, a series of novel metal–organic frameworks (AHU-TW1 to 6) were synthesized by a solvothermal method. Herein, accessible Lewis base sites originating from organic ligands within MOFs act as functional sites that can interact with the analyte possessing protons and then lead to obvious variations in the fluorescence spectra. Due to their superiority, AHU-TW1, 3, 4 and 6 are able to recognize trinitrophenol (TNP) with high sensitivity and a low detection limit.