Multifunctional luminescent Zr(IV)-MOF for rapid and efficient detection of vanillin, CrO42- and Cr2O72- ions

Fast and efficient detection of pollutants in the food or wastewater is an urgent need for protecting human health and ecological environment. Herein, a luminescent Zr(IV)-MOF (HBU-20) has been conveniently synthesized. It could be used as a fluorescent probe for detection of vanillin, CrO42-, and Cr2O72- in aqueous medium. All the fluorescence response time is less than 10 s and the detection limits of vanillin, CrO42- and Cr2O72- achieve 0.38 μM, 0.065 μM and 0.0089 μM, respectively. Interestingly, common anions, cations and amino acids in the solution can not affect the fluorescence detection. Meanwhile, the fluorescence detection process can be successfully implemented even under strong acid or strong alkaline conditions. Further research shows that the inner filter effect (IFE) plays a major role in the sensing process. The rapid and sensitive fluorescence responses indicate that the compound is a promising multifunctional probe for sensing toxic substance. The results can provide an important reference for the design of new fluorescent probes.