Tifeng Xia

Pressure controlled drug release in a Zr-cluster-based MOF

A robust zirconium-cluster-based metal-organic framework (MOF) ZJU-800 with an excellent drug loading capacity (about 58.80 wt%) has been synthesized. The system shows an adjustable release time of the drug diclofenac sodium from 2 days to 8 days by controlling the degree of compaction between MOF and drug using pressure.

A luminescent ratiometric thermometer based on thermally coupled levels of a Dy-MOF

A MOF thermometer, Dycpia, utilizing thermally coupled energy levels (TCELs) has been realized. Based on two emissions originating from two TCELs, Dycpia enables self-referenced temperature sensing in the range from 298 to 473 K with a high resolution of 0.05 K.

A turn-on fluorescent probe for Cd2+ detection in aqueous environments based on an imine functionalized nanoscale metal–organic framework

A novel fluorescent probe was synthesized and explored to detect cadmium ions (Cd2+) based on an imine functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF). The nanoscale MOF probe (∼100 nm) displayed a turn-on fluorescence in aqueous environments with the addition of Cd2+ which could be ascribed to the interaction between the CN group and specific metal ions, presenting a low-toxicity, highly selective and sensitive detection method for Cd2+ with a detection limit of 0.336 μM (37.8 ppb) and a broad linear range of 0–500 μM, which is promising for application in intracellular sensing and imaging of Cd2+. The probing mechanism was studied and discussed in detail.