Biomimetic Synthesis of Ultrafine Mixed-Valence Metal-Organic Framework Nanowires and Their Application in Electrochemiluminescence Sensing

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) prepared via typical procedures tend to exhibit issues like poor water stability and poor conductivity, which hinder their application in electrochemical sensing. Herein, we report a strategy for the preparation of mixed-valence ultrafine one-dimensional Ce-MOF nanowires based on a micelle-assisted biomimetic route and subsequent investigation into their growth mechanism. The prepared mixed-valence Ce-MOF nanowires exhibited a typical size of similar to 50 nm and were found to present good water stability and high conductivity. On this basis, we examined the introduction of these nanowires into the luminol hydrogen peroxide luminescence system and proposed a novel dualroute self-circulating electrochemiluminescence (ECL) catalytic amplification mechanism. Finally, in combination with molecular imprinting, a MOF-based ECL sensor was developed for the detection of trace amounts of imidacloprid in plant-derived foods. This sensor exhibited a linearity of 2-120 nM and a detection limit of 0.34 nM. Thus, we proposed not only a novel route to MOF downsizing but also a facile and robust methodology for the design of a MOF-based molecular imprinting ECL sensor.

Automated summary

The study presents a strategy for preparing mixed-valence Ce-MOF nanowires using a micelle-assisted biomimetic route, demonstrating good water stability and high conductivity. These nanowires were successfully applied in the design of an ECL sensor for detecting trace amounts of imidacloprid in plant-derived foods. The research not only proposes a novel route for downsizing MOFs but also provides a facile and robust methodology for designing MOF-based molecular imprinting ECL sensors.