Recent Progress in Metal-Organic Framework Based Fluorescent Sensors for Hazardous Materials Detection

Population growth and industrial development have exacerbated environmental pollution of both land and aquatic environments with toxic and harmful materials. Luminescence-based chemical sensors crafted for specific hazardous substances operate on host-guest interactions, leading to the detection of target molecules down to the nanomolar range. Particularly, the luminescence-based sensors constructed on the basis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are of increasing interest, as they can not only compensate for the shortcomings of traditional detection techniques, but also can provide more sensitive detection for analytes. Recent years have seen MOFs-based fluorescent sensors show outstanding advantages in the field of hazardous substance identification and detection. Here, we critically discuss the application of MOFs for the detection of a broad scope of hazardous substances, including hazardous gases, heavy metal ions, radioactive ions, antibiotics, pesticides, nitro-explosives, and some harmful solvents as well as luminous and sensing mechanisms of MOF-based fluorescent sensors. The outlook and several crucial issues of this area are also discussed, with the expectation that it may help arouse widespread attention on exploring fluorescent MOFs (LMOFs) in potential sensing applications.     

The art of fluorescence imaging with chemical sensors

Fluorescence imaging techniques involving chemical sensors are essential tools in many fields of science and technology because they enable the visualization of parameters which exhibit no intrinsic color or fluorescence, for example, oxygen, pH value, CO(2), H(2)O(2), Ca(2+), or temperature, to name just a few. This Review aims to highlight the state of the art of fluorescence sensing and imaging, starting from a comprehensive overview of the basic functional principles of fluorescent probes (or indicators) and the design of sensor materials. The focus is directed towards the progress made in the development of multiple sensors and methods for their signal read out. Imaging methods involving optical sensors are applied in quite diverse scientific areas, such as medical research, aerodynamics, and marine research.     

薄膜基荧光气体传感器中的涂层化学

近年来,高性能薄膜基气体传感器的研制备受关注,所涉及的涂层化学已经成为物理化学学科发展的一个热点。传感因分析物与敏感层(涂层)物质相互作用引起薄膜特定静态及动态物理量变化而实现,因此,薄膜传感性能势必受到敏感层物质种类和敏感层微纳结构等因素影响。就薄膜基荧光传感而言,荧光敏感物质的结构和性质对薄膜传感性能起着至关重要的作用。同时,因毛细凝结、色谱效应、尺寸效应、分子间相互作用等因素的存在,敏感层微观结构也极大地影响着薄膜的传感性能。本文结合课题组近期研究工作,简要讨论薄膜基荧光气体传感器研究中的涂层化学基本问题,以及相关薄膜基荧光传感器在隐藏爆炸物、毒品、挥发性有机污染物检测/监测等方面的应用探索。最后,文章展望了薄膜基荧光气体传感器的发展前景和所面临的主要挑战。     

Visual pH Sensors: From a Chemical Perspective to New Bioengineered Materials

Many human activities and cellular functions depend upon precise pH values, and pH monitoring is considered a fundamental task. Colorimetric and fluorescence sensors for pH measurements are chemical and biochemical tools able to sense protons and produce a visible signal. These pH sensors are gaining widespread attention as non-destructive tools, visible to the human eye, that are capable of a real-time and in-situ response. Optical “visual” sensors are expanding researchers’ interests in many chemical contexts and are routinely used for biological, environmental, and medical applications. In this review we provide an overview of trending colorimetric, fluorescent, or dual-mode responsive visual pH sensors. These sensors include molecular synthetic organic sensors, metal organic frameworks (MOF), engineered sensing nanomaterials, and bioengineered sensors. We review different typological chemical entities of visual pH sensors, three-dimensional structures, and signaling mechanisms for pH sensing and applications; developed in the past five years. The progression of this review from simple organic molecules to biological macromolecules seeks to benefit beginners and scientists embarking on a project of pH sensing development, who needs background information and a quick update on advances in the field. Lessons learned from these tools will aid pH determination projects and provide new ways of thinking for cell bioimaging or other cutting-edge in vivo applications.     

Fluorescent sensors for the detection of chemical warfare agents

Along with biological and nuclear threats, chemical warfare agents are some of the most feared weapons of mass destruction. Compared to nuclear weapons they are relatively easy to access and deploy, which makes them in some aspects a greater threat to national and global security. A particularly hazardous class of chemical warfare agents are the nerve agents. Their rapid and severe effects on human health originate in their ability to block the function of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that is vital to the central nervous system. This article outlines recent activities regarding the development of molecular sensors that can visualize the presence of nerve agents (and related pesticides) through changes of their fluorescence properties. Three different sensing principles are discussed: enzyme-based sensors, chemically reactive sensors, and supramolecular sensors. Typical examples are presented for each class and different fluorescent sensors for the detection of chemical warfare agents are summarized and compared.     

超分子在质量敏感压电化学传感器中的应用

以质量敏感为分析基础的压电化学传感器,其表面涂层往往决定其对分析物的选择性。超分子作为压电石英晶体涂层,应用主－客体分子识别的原理,显著提高压电化学传感器的选择性。该文详细论述了近十年有关超分子主体化合物在体波和表面波化学传感器的应用,并了涂膜技术及主－客体识别机理。     

碳纳米管基气体传感器研究进展

碳纳米管具有灵敏度高、响应快和工作温度低等优异的气敏特性,近年来碳纳米管基气体传感器的研究成为研究热点.概述了碳纳米管基气体传感器的种类、结构特点、气敏性能和未来的发展方向,着重介绍了纯的碳纳米管包括单壁碳纳米管、多壁碳纳米管和碳纳米管阵列的气敏特性,以及碳纳米管的修饰或碳纳米管与高分子材料、氧化物等复合对其气敏性能的影响.     

多荧光光纤传感器及其在混合溶剂检测中的应用

微纳光纤与其他微纳结构的集成可以拓展荧光光纤传感器检测范围和集成度,是光纤传感领域的研究热点。目前,国际上关于荧光光纤传感器这一领域的研究还处于单一检测物荧光响应的阶段,对多检测物的多通道荧光响应仍存在很大挑战。本文结合微纳光纤的光波导性能以及有机荧光材料的光功能特性,制备了能够同时激发和收集多种荧光的微纳光纤,并将之应用于高性能荧光光纤传感器的制备。通过选用不同荧光波长的有机材料与凝胶掺杂,制备了多荧光发射的光纤涂层材料,可控构筑了多组分荧光检测剂掺杂凝胶涂层。利用荧光光谱结合色度图分析,确定检测物与色坐标的关系,实现了多检测物的多通道荧光响应,为实现多荧光光纤传感器的可控构筑提供了有益的借鉴和指导意义。     

Fluorescence Ratiometric Antibiotic Detection with a Single Lanthanide Metal-Organic Framework

Antibiotic residues are currently an increasing threat for human health and the ecosystem, and specific and rapid real-time sensing of antibiotics is a big challenge. To realize specific sensing by rapid fluorescent sensors, a lanthanide metal-organic framework (MOF) containing dual emissive centers has been developed with high sensing selectivity and sensitivity. Owing to the self-calibration ability, the dual-center Tb-MOF exhibits higher selectivity towards furazolidone (FZD) and nitrofural (NZF) among the reported MOF sensors. Additionally, the corresponding ratiometric detection mode also realized specific sensing of other tested antibiotics. Besides, the single-Tb³⁺-based dual-emission MOF in this work is expected to support the development of fluorescent sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity for environmental safety purposes.     

Multi-Analyte Sensing: From Site-Selective Deposition to Randomly-Ordered Addressable Optical Fiber Sensors

In this report we review the progress in the development of imaging fiber chemical sensors. Emphasis is placed on the chemical sensor component and the fabrication of architectures appropriate for multi-analyte sensing, such as optical fiber sensors. Two main approaches in the fabrication of such sensors will be highlighted: first, sensors made with spatially-resolved sensing sites by site-selective polymerization, second, sensors prepared by random distribution of microsphere sensors on an optical imaging fiber containing thousands of μm-scale wells. Examples of each are given.     

Nanoscale fluorescent sensors for intracellular analysis

There is a growing interest in the development of submicron optochemical sensing devices. Miniaturization of sensors to nano-dimensions decreases their typical response time down to the millisecond time scale. Their penetration volume is reduced to a few cubic micrometers and they exhibit a spatial resolution at the nanometer scale. In this review the fabrication of submicron optical fiber fluorescent sensors and particle-based fluorescent nanosensors is described. The functional characteristics of these exciting miniaturized fluorescent sensors and their applications for quantitative measurement of intracellular analytes are demonstrated.     

Luminescent nanoscale metal–organic frameworks for chemical sensing

Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs) are a fascinating class of crystalline materials constructed from selfassembly of metal cations/clusters and organic ligands. Both metal and organic components can be used to generate luminescence, and can further interact via antenna effect to increase the quantum yield,providing a versatile platform for chemical sensing based on luminescence emission. Moreover, MOFs can be miniaturized to nanometer scale to form nano-MOF(NMOF) materials, which exhibit many advantages over conventional bulk MOFs in terms of the facile tailorability of compositions, sizes and morphologies, the high dispersity in a wide variety of medium, and the intrinsic biocompatibility. This review will detail the development of NMOF materials as chemical sensors, including the synthetic methodologies for designing NMOF sensory materials, their luminescent properties and potential sensing applications.     

Fluorescent conjugated polymers for chemical and biochemical sensing

This review deals with the emerging field of fluorescent conjugated polymers for the development of chemical and/or biochemical sensors. As a result of their amplified physical properties due to a “molecular wire effect”, these materials offer excellent characteristics to develop different sensing schemes (e.g., employing direct superquenching or relying on development of fluorescence-resonance-energy-transfer formats). The versatility of their synthesis procedures allows us to introduce the desired functional groups to achieve analytically useful interactions with analytes [e.g., from transition-metal ions to explosives, or even, in recent years, relevant biomolecules (e.g., proteins or DNA, where conformational changes play a decisive role in detection)].     

Fluorescent and colorimetric sensors for detection of lead, cadmium, and mercury ions

Exposure to even very low levels of lead, cadmium, and mercury ions is known to cause neurological, reproductive, cardiovascular, and developmental disorders, which are more serious problems for children particularly. Accordingly, great efforts have been devoted to the development of fluorescent and colorimetric sensors, which can selectively detect lead, cadmium, and mercury ions. In this critical review, the fluorescent and colorimetric sensors are classified according to their receptors into several categories, including small molecule based sensors, calixarene based chemosensors, BODIPY based chemosensors, polymer based chemosensors, DNA functionalized sensing systems, protein based sensing systems and nanoparticle based sensing systems (197 references).     

基于金属纳米簇的荧光传感平台的最新研究进展

荧光纳米生物传感平台由于具有灵敏度高、选择性好、操作简单、成本低、实时监测等特点,吸引了广泛的关注.近年来,随着纳米技术的飞速发展,具有纳米结构的材料(纳米材料)在生物传感领域显示出独特的优势.与传统材料相比,纳米材料显示出独特的物化性质,如光学、电学、机械、催化和磁性等.金属(如Au、Ag、Cu及其合金)纳米簇(MN...     

Chalcogenide glass chemical sensors: Research and analytical applications

The paper is devoted to research and development in the field of chalcogenide glass chemical sensors for determination of heavy metal ions in solution. The overview of the solid-state scientific approach and research design of the sensing materials is followed by the original results of the analytical application of the chalcogenide glass sensors for laboratory analysis, industrial control and environmental monitoring.     

手性荧光传感器的研究进展

随着手性化合物在制药、不对称合成、生物科学及临床医学等领域应用的增长,迫切需要发展一种快速、灵敏的对映异构体检测技术。手性荧光传感器引起了人们的高度关注。近年来,发展了很多手性荧光传感器并对手性化合物表现出较高的选择性和灵敏度。该文综述了以1,1'-联-2-萘酚衍生物、杯芳烃衍生物、高分子聚合物、纳米材料、金属有机多孔材料为骨架的手性荧光传感器,总结了其在手性化合物识别中的应用,并展望了手性荧光传感器的发展方向。     

Recent advances and applications in QDs-based sensors

As a unique nanomaterial, quantum dots (QDs) are not only applied in fluorescent labeling and biological imaging, but are also utilized in novel sensing systems. Because QDs have attractive optoelectronic characteristics, QD-based sensors present high sensitivity in detecting specific analytes in the chemical and biochemical fields. In this review, we describe the basic principles and different conjugation strategies in QD-based sensors. An overview of recent advances and various models of QD-sensing systems is also provided. Furthermore, perspectives for sensors based on QDs are discussed.     

Micro- and nanomechanical sensors for environmental, chemical, and biological detection

Micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems, including cantilevers and other small scale structures, have been studied for sensor applications. Accurate sensing of gaseous or aqueous environments, chemical vapors, and biomolecules have been demonstrated using a variety of these devices that undergo static deflections or shifts in resonant frequency upon analyte binding. In particular, biological detection of viruses, antigens, DNA, and other proteins is of great interest. While the majority of currently used detection schemes are reliant on biomarkers, such as fluorescent labels, time, effort, and chemical activity could be saved by developing an ultrasensitive method of label-free mass detection. Micro- and nanoscale sensors have been effectively applied as label-free detectors. In the following, we review the technologies and recent developments in the field of micro- and nanoelectromechanical sensors with particular emphasis on their application as biological sensors and recent work towards integrating these sensors in microfluidic systems.