Eu-Postdoped UIO-66-Type Metal-Organic Framework as a Luminescent Sensor for Hg Detection in Aqueous Media.

Because of its extreme toxicity, the determination of Hg in aqueous solution is an important subject for human health and environmental monitoring. In this study, a novel UIO-66-type metal-organic framework (MOF) doped with Eu (isophthalic acid and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid and zirconium chloride served as the organic connectors and metal precursor, respectively) was prepared by a hydrothermal method and postsynthetic modification. The obtained lanthanide MOFs exhibited good photothermal and fluorescence stability in aqueous solution. As a luminescent probe, dispersions of the material can specifically recognize Hg in many ions and have a detection limit of 8.26 nM. This novel lanthanide MOF shows great potential applications for biosensing, imaging, environmental analysis, and so on.