Synthesis and Sensing Studies of Erbium MOF Based on 2-2’-bithiophene- 5,5’-dicarboxylic acid

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), are a unique
class of materials in which metal clusters are linked
together by organic moieties forming porous 1-D, 2-D,
and 3-D structures. MOFs have many applications
resulting from not only the overall structure, but also
the metal center, organic “linker”, or a combination
thereof. The high surface areas and porosity of these
materials have found use in heterogeneous catalysis,
display technologies, semiconducting materials,
and biomedicine. These materials are also currently
being developed as a new sensor technology for
detection of potentially harmful chemicals. Nitroaromatics
are key components in the fabrication of
explosives, however, current detection methods are
time consuming and expensive. Considering this, our
interest lies in synthesizing MOFs that can be used
as a sensor for nitroaromatic compounds. To this
end, our lab has developed a new Er(III) MOF based
on the linker 2-2’-bithiophene-5,5’-dicarboxylic acid
(DTDC). Herein, synthesis and nitroaromatic sensing
studies will be discussed.