Citation: Wenhao HUANG, Mingming XU, Peng CHENG, Wei SHI. Influence of metal center regulation in metal-organic frameworks on the sensing performance and sensing mechanism of perfluoroalkyl substances[J]. Chinese Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, ;2026, 42(11): 2353-2361. doi: 10.11862/CJIC.20260137 shu

Influence of metal center regulation in metal-organic frameworks on the sensing performance and sensing mechanism of perfluoroalkyl substances

College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China

Corresponding author: Wei SHI, shiwei@nankai.edu.cn
Received Date: 20 April 2026
Revised Date: 28 August 2026

Figures(6)

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely present in solid matrices and aqueous environments, and their bioaccumulation and inherent toxicity pose potential threats to human health. To meet the demand for rapid, sensitive PFAS detection, we synthesized two metal-organic frameworks, UiO-66-NH₂(Ce) and UiO-66-NH₂(Zr), with different metal centers, via a solvothermal method using 2-aminoterephthalic acid as the ligand. Detailed characterizations confirmed that the as-synthesized samples possessed satisfactory phase purity, acid-base stability, and thermal stability. Both MOFs exhibited turn-on fluorescence responses toward perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Compared to UiO-66-NH₂(Zr), UiO-66-NH₂(Ce) exhibited better performance, achieving a limit of detection as low as 0.17 μmol·L^-1 for PFOS, along with rapid response and excellent anti-interference capability. Mechanistic studies revealed that the MOFs interacted with the acidic head groups of PFAS through electrostatic interaction, thereby triggering the fluorescence response. Meanwhile, the different metal centers regulate the intensity of host-guest interactions within the framework via their polarizability, thereby modulating the sensing performance. This work provides a tailored MOF system for the facile detection of PFAS in water and reveals the key structural factors governing the sensing performance of MOF-based materials.
- metal-organic framework,
- 2-aminoterephthalic acid,
- perfluoroalkyl substances,
- fluorescence sensing,
- host-guest interaction
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