Synergistic Size Effect of MOF Cavity/Encapsulated Luminescent Modules Significantly Boosts Nitro-Aromatic Vapors Distinction via a Three-Dimensional Ratiometric Sensing

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Vol. 328; p. 129025
• Main Authors: Zhao, He, Di, Ling, Wang, Shu-Wei, Zhang, Jian-Jun, Liu, Zhen, Fang, Wang-Jian, Liu, Shu-Qin, Ni, Jun, Song, Xue-Dan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.02.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Aromatic compounds; Charge transfer; Distinction; Encapsulation; Energy transfer; Metal-organic frameworks; Modules; NAC isomers; Sensing; Size effects; synergistic size effect; Three-dimension ratiometric; Three-dimension ratiometric; Sensing; NAC isomers; Metal-organic frameworks; Distinction; synergistic size effect
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2020.129025

[Display omitted] •Multi-component MOF composites are designed based on computational simulation.•Multiple vapors of nitroaromatics, including isomers, are distinguished by a white-emitting composite.•Synergistic size effect of MOF cavity/encapsulated luminescent modules is predominant in the distinction.•Noncovalent bonding interaction as a dynamic factor to promote electron/energy transfer is unclosed.•Three-dimensional ratiometric sensing shows an excellent method of differentiation. One sensor to distinguish two or more nitro-aromatic compound (NAC) vapors is still a challenge. This contribution reports a multi-chromatic MOF-based composite (V4) synthesized by in-situ simultaneously encapsulating the red- and green-emitting modules into a porous blue-emitting MOF. The V4 can independently discriminate 7 NAC vapors through a three-dimension ratiometric sensing (3-DRS) at 25 ℃; Four groups of regioisomers and three groups of o-/m-/p-monosubstituted NBs can be each differentiated by V4. Further, totally 9 out of tested 15 NAC vapors can be figured out at 60 ℃. An index r is proposed to quantify the discrimination of the sensor. Systematic investigations reveal that the synergistic size effect of the MOF cavity and the encapsulated luminescent modules (ELMs) plays a key role in distinguishing multiple NAC vapors. The noncovalent bonding interaction (NCI) as a dynamic factor promote the charge and/or energy transfer between the NAC and ELM/matrix to accelerate NAC sensing are unclosed. This work highlighting a new approach to incorporate multiple functional components into MOFs to synergistically discriminate various NAC vapors.