# Pore-Engineered Luminescent MOF Sensors for PFAS Recognition in Water

## TL;DR

This paper introduces engineered metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that can detect harmful PFAS chemicals in water with high sensitivity and efficiency.

## Contribution

A modular linker installation strategy is introduced to engineer MOF pores for improved PFAS sensing in water.

## Key findings

- A library of 13 PCN-700 derivatives showed that increased pore accessibility enhances sensing performance.
- Amino groups in PCN-700 improve sensing sensitivity by up to 3-fold through stronger host-guest interactions.
- Functional group density adjustments reveal a trade-off between loading and pore accessibility.

## Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent
contaminants
in water that pose severe threats to environmental integrity and public
health. Luminescent sensing using porous materials has emerged as
a highly efficient strategy for daily recognition, owing to its high
efficiency, simplicity, and sensitivity. However, systematic investigations
into the pore structure–function relationship that govern PFAS
detection remain largely lacking, which hindered the rational design
of advanced PFAS sensors. Herein, a linker installation strategy is
employed to precisely engineer the pore environments of metal–organic
frameworks (MOFs) in a modular manner without compromising structural
integrity for PFAS recognition in water. A library of 13 PCN-700 derivatives
with systematically regulated pore volumes was constructed, revealing
that enhanced pore accessibility directly boosts sensing performance.
Notably, the amino groups in PCN-700 significantly improve the sensing
sensitivity, achieving up to 3-fold higher quenching efficiencies
through strengthened host–guest interactions. Further adjustment
of functional group densities uncovers a trade-off between functional
group loading and pore accessibility. By disentangling the respective
contributions of pore volume modulation by various functional groups,
the design principles are provided for the development of robust and
high-performance MOF-based luminescent sensors to address PFAS monitoring
challenges in water.