Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks as Luminescent Sensor for Toluene

Paving the Way for a Green Transition in the Design of Sensors and Biosensors for the Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

The efficient and selective detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) provides key information for various purposes ranging from the toxicological analysis of indoor/outdoor environments to the diagnosis of diseases or to the investigation of biological processes. In the last decade, different sensors and biosensors providing reliable, rapid, and economic responses in the detection of VOCs have been successfully conceived and applied in numerous practical cases; however, the global necessity of a sustainable development, has driven the design of devices for the detection of VOCs to greener methods. In this review, the most recent and innovative VOC sensors and biosensors with sustainable features are presented. The sensors are grouped into three of the main industrial sectors of daily life, including environmental analysis, highly important for toxicity issues, food packaging tools, especially aimed at avoiding the spoilage of meat and fish, and the diagnosis of diseases, crucial for the early detection of relevant pathological conditions such as cancer and diabetes. The research outcomes presented in the review underly the necessity of preparing sensors with higher efficiency, lower detection limits, improved selectivity, and enhanced sustainable characteristics to fully address the sustainable manufacturing of VOC sensors and biosensors.

Effect of Different Synthesis Approaches on Structural and Thermal Properties of Lanthanide(III) Metal–Organic Frameworks Based on the 1H-Pyrazole-3,5-Dicarboxylate Linker

The impact of different synthetic procedures such as: hydrothermal, mechanochemical and precipitation on the structure and thermal properties of coordination polymers of 1H-pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxylic acid (H3pdca) with selected lanthanide ions was determined. The prepared complexes of the general formula: Ln2(Hpdca)3⋅nH2O, where Ln = Eu(III), Nd(III), Tb(III) and Er(III); n = 6 or 7 were fully investigated by: elemental analysis, Energy-Dispersive X-Ray (ED-XRF) and infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, powder as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods and thermal analysis (TG-DSC and TG-FTIR) in various atmospheres. It was proved that all used strategies offer high yields of reactions along with crystallinity of the obtained products. The X-ray diffraction methods allowed to conclude that the complexes with the same metal ions exhibit the same crystal structure despite different synthesis routes. On the other hand, the coordination polymers of Eu(III), Tb(III) and Er(III) prepared under different conditions are isomorphous. Only neodymium(III) compounds have a different crystal structure. Thermal stability of the produced complexes was correlated with the synthesis conditions, in particular with the way of energy supply. It was found that the highest thermal stability was exhibited by the complexes prepared under the hydrothermal conditions. Additionally, based on the volatile products of metal complexes decomposition, the mechanism of their pyrolysis was proposed in relation to their structures.