Facile Time-Controlled Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Zr-Perylenediimide MOF Nanosheets for Ultrasensitive DNA Fluorescent Biosensing

Abstract

This study demonstrates a facile, surfactant-free strategy for synthesizing uniform two-dimensional (2D) rhombic Zr-PDI (perylenediimide) metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets (NSs) (~17 nm thick) by precisely controlling the solvothermal reaction time to 6 h. Leveraging their superior fluorescence quenching capability and selectivity compared to bulk PDI crystals, we developed a Zr-PDI NSs-based fluorescent biosensor. This sensor achieved sensitive target DNA detection (limit of detection: 166 pM) and effectively discriminated single-base mismatched DNA from random DNA sequences. This work establishes a new paradigm for the synthesis of 2D MOFs and paves the way for highly sensitive biosensing platforms.