US researchers see water applications for luminescent crystal

  • Research

Issue: 

Researchers from Rutgers University in the US have designed and synthesized luminescent metal-organic framework (LMOF), a type of crystal that was found to be an ‘excellent candidate’ as a fluorescent chemical sensor and adsorbent for water contaminants.

The team has reported in Applied Materials & Interfaces that a systematic study that analysed their interactions with heavy metals found ‘impressive water stability, high porosity, and strong luminescence, making it an excellent candidate as a fluorescent chemical sensor and adsorbent for aqueous contaminants.’

The authors added that the crystal is ‘extremely responsive to toxic heavy metals at a parts per billion level… and demonstrates high selectivity for heavy metals over light metals’.

Mixed-metal adsorption experiments showed that the LMOF selectively adsorbed mercury over other heavy metal ions in addition to light metals, following second-order kinetics.

Keywords: 

  • water treatment, research