A Fluorescent Titanium-Based Metal-Organic Framework Sensor For Nitro-Aromatics Detection

A rare fluorescent nanoscale titanium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) material, Ti-6(mu(3)-O)(6)(mu(2)-OH)(6)(BTB)(2)(DMF)(2) (ZSTU-2) was synthesized and realized for highly sensitive sensing of nitro-aromatic compounds. ZSTU-2 exhibited high fluorescence intensity with blue luminescence and stability in water. ZSTU-2 exhibited significant luminescent quenching effects upon the addition of nitro-aromatic compounds, especially for picric acid (PA). The limit of detection (LOD) for PA reaches 2.37 mu M and the Ksv value is 2.266x10(4) M-1.