Tuning MOFs: When a metal-organic framework (MOF) with an ordered three-dimensional macroporous structure is integrated into a film, the resulting materials have an additional optical element, which can be used as a general and effective signal transducer. This, in combination with the hierarchical pore structure, makes these films interesting dynamic photonic materials with potential applications in sensors.

Carbon sandwich: When a pyrrole‐containing surfactant is polymerized between layers of silica (see picture; pyrrole is red), subsequent carbonization and removal of the silica template yields large, pure, single‐layer graphene sheets. The procedure, which employs mild conditions, is controllable and can be used to produce micrometer‐sized graphene sheets on a gram scale.

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A new concept for anion detection in a handy, rapid, and sensitive way is described based on the combination of the unique properties of both ILs and photonic crystals. By simple counteranion exchanging of the pendant IL units, the 3D highly ordered IL porous structure can directly sense different anions and easily convert the anion detection events into readable optical signals with color changes.

A general protocol based on spontaneous adsorption of cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n]) molecules through a strong multivalence interaction between CB[n] and gold is described, by which the formation of self-assembled CB[n] monolayers on gold surfaces can be efficiently achieved.

A flexible metal-organic framework (MOF)-based one-dimensional photonic crystal (1DPC) was fabricated by a spin-coating method. The flexible MOF, NH 2 -MIL-88B (MIL ¼ Materials from Institute Lavoisier), was selected and implanted as the intrinsic functional layer of 1DPCs because of its selective breathing behavior upon exposure to various guests. TiO 2 nanoparticles were used as another component to ensure a high refractive index contrast. The optical properties of the 1DPCs were tailored by varying the number of bilayers, incident angles, and physical thickness of the individual slabs. The fabricated 1DPCs showed a selective response toward various organic vapors as a result of the selective breathing behavior of the NH 2 -MIL-88B layer. Selective quantitative measurements of the ethanol concentrationwere achieved when the 1DPC was exposed to the vapors of an ethanol and water mixture. The fabricated 1DPCs exhibited high long-term, thermal, and mechanical stability, which are beneficial for practical applications. 84574241 † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Characterization of NH 2 -MIL-88B and TiO 2 nanoparticles, optical responses of 1DPC upon various organic vapors, photographs of 1DPC aer high thermal, long term and ultrasonic treatments. See

Based on the combination of colloidal-crystal templating and a molecular imprinting technique, a sensor platform for efficient detection of atrazine in aqueous solution has been developed. The sensor is characterized by a 3D-ordered interconnected macroporous structure in which numerous nanocavities derived from atrazine imprinting are distributed in the thin wall of the formed inverse polymer opal. Owing to the special hierarchical porous structure, the molecularly imprinted polymer opals (or molecularly imprinted photonic polymer; MIPP) allow rapid and ultrasensitive detection of the target analyte. The interconnected macropores are favorable for the rapid transport of atrazine in polymer films, whereas the inherent high affinity of nanocavites distributed in thin polymer walls allows MIPP to recognize atrazine with high specificity. More importantly, the atrazine recognition events of the created nanocavities can be directly transferred (label-free) into a readable optical signal through a change in Bragg diffraction of the ordered macropores array of MIPP and thereby induce color changes that can be detected by the naked eye. With this novel sensory system, direct, ultrasensitive (as low as 10(-8) ng mL(-1)), rapid (less than 30 s) and selective detection of atrazine with a broad concentration range varying from 10(-16) M to 10(-6) M in aqueous media is achieved without the use of label techniques and expensive instruments.

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