Sensing-functional luminescent metal-organic frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), self-assembled from metal ions with organic ligands, are well known for their intriguing framework topology, permanent porosity, and tunable optical properties and have shown great promise for a good number of applications. Over the past few years, luminescent MOFs have attracted growing attention, especially for developing various luminescent sensors, by virtue of their excellent selectivity and high sensitivity. In this feature article, we highlight some of the recent significant progress in this active research field, and provide a comprehensive review on luminescent MOFs as sensory materials for diverse sensing applications including for metal ions, anions, small molecules and gases, nitroaromatics and explosives, temperature, as well as other aspects.