ABSTRACT
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are widely used for gas adsorption, separation, and sensing materials. In most cases, MOFs are not used in their crystal form but as impregnated materials because the fine crystals result in high-pressure drops. One key characteristic of MOF-impregnated materials is the amount of MOF in the material. This is evaluated using the wet digestion method; however, it is limited to determining only the metal content. Moreover, some metal, denoted as free metal, will not react with ligands to form MOFs. Additionally, it is crucial to determine the ligand amount, which cannot be determined using wet digestion. In the present study, a two-step extraction method for copper (II) benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Cu-BTC MOF) impregnated materials was developed to determine the MOF formed and free metals and ligands. Various solvents were applied to evaluate the extraction efficiencies. The results led to the selection of ethanol (EtOH) for extracting free Cu2+ and BTC, while 0.3 M HNO3 was chosen to extract MOF-formed Cu2+ and BTC. The MOF-impregnated sample material was first extracted using EtOH and then 0.3 M HNO3. The Cu2+ and BTC in the obtained extract solutions, as well as EtOH and HNO3, were analyzed using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. In standard addition tests, free and MOF-formed Cu2+ and BTC were quantitatively extracted from MOF-impregnated materials. The developed two-step analysis method was successfully applied to Cu-BTC-impregnated materials used in gas sensing.
ABSTRACT
The use of hexagonal boron nitride quantum dots (hBN QDs) as an electrochemical sensor for ferritin is reported for the first time. These QDs were synthesized using a simple liquid exfoliation method. The synthesized material was characterized using analytical techniques such as UV-visible, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) to study different aspects of the QDs. These QDs were explored for their plausible application as a platform for the electrochemical detection of ferritin. For this, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used as a sensing technique and disposable hBN QD functionalized screen printed electrodes were used as a sensing platform. The developed immunosensor had a dynamic linear range from 10-2000 ng mL-1 of ferritin concentration with a limit of detection of 1.306 ng mL-1. The immunosensor was highly selective, did not deviate in the presence of interfering agents and was also highly reproducible.
