Nanosized Zirconium–Organic Frameworks with Redox Behaviors for the Switchable Detection of Hypochlorous Acid and Ascorbic Acid

Luminescent metal–organic frameworks (LMOFs) exhibit promising applications as chemical sensors, especially for organic-linker-based LMOFs due to their unlimited structures and pre- and postfunctionality. However, it is still a challenge to introduce specific functional groups into LMOFs as reaction sites for sensing. Herein, a new luminescent zirconium-based metal–organic framework (Zr-MOF), HIAM-4009L, is reported with csq underlying net. By integrating the hydroquinone moiety into the skeleton of the organic linker via the reaction between o -diamine and aldehydes, nanosized HIAM-4009L exhibits reversible emission responses toward hypochlorous acid (HClO) and l -ascorbic acid (vitamin C, Vc) due to the switchable hydroquinone/quinone reaction. This nano-MOF can be used as a reaction-based chemical sensor for HClO and Vc detection with high selectivity and sensitivity. The present work not only provides nanosized MOFs for the reversible detection of HClO and Vc but also sheds light on the rational design of LMOFs with specific functional groups using an o -diamine- and aldehyde-based reaction.