Two fluorescent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) [Zn(dcbpy)(DMF)]·DMF and [Dy(dcbpy)(DMF) 2 (NO 3 )] (dcbpy = 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylate) were synthesised solvothermally and structurally characterised. Uniform shape and sized microcrystals of [Zn(dcbpy)(DMF)]·DMF were also produced using microwave synthesis. The frameworks give organic linkerbased fluorescence emission and demonstrate very different detection capabilities towards the explosive taggant 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) derivatives; 2,4-dinitrotoulene (2,4-DNT), nitrobenzene (NB) and paranitrotoluene (p-NT). These differences are attributed to the variation in the overall framework architecture between the two MOFs. This paper reiterates the key importance of MOF porosity in sensing applications, and highlights the value of uniform microcrystals to sensitivity.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise for sensing of dangerous chemicals, including environmental toxins, nerve agents and explosives. However, challenges remain, such as the sensing of larger analytes and the discrimination between similar analytes at different concentrations. Herein we present the synthesis and development of a new, large-pore MOF for explosives sensing, and demonstrate its excellent sensitivity against a range of relevant explosive compounds including trinitrotoluene (TNT) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). We have developed an improved, thorough methodology to eliminate common sources of error in our sensing protocol. We then combine this new MOF with two others as part of a three-MOF array for fluorescent sensing and discrimination of five explosives. This sensor works at part-permillion concentrations and importantly, can discriminate explosives with high accuracy without reference to their concentration.

Incorporation by coordination and release of the iron chelator drug deferiprone from zinc-based metal-organic frameworks Article (Published Version) http://sro.sussex.ac.uk Burrows, Andrew D, Jurcic, Monika, Keenan, Luke L, Lane, Rebecca A, Mahon, Mary F, Warren, Mark R, Nowell, Harriot, Paradowski, Michael and Spencer, John (2013) Incorporation by coordination and release of the iron chelator drug deferiprone from zinc-based metal-organic frameworks. Chemical Communications, 49. pp. 11260-11262. ISSN 1359-7345 This version is available from Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/46792/ This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies and may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the URL above for details on accessing the published version. Copyright and reuse:Sussex Research Online is a digital repository of the research output of the University.Copyright and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. To the extent reasonable and practicable, the material made available in SRO has been checked for eligibility before being made available.Copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are attracting considerable attention due to their potential for permanent porosity, and the consequent applications of this in areas as diverse as hydrogen storage, separations and heterogeneous catalysis.1 Since the first report, in 2006, that bioactive molecules could be encapsulated within the pores of MOFs and released slowly, 2 there has been an increased focus on using MOFs to control drug delivery.3 As an alternative to including bioactive molecules as guests within pores of a pre-formed MOF, it is also possible to use this kind of molecule as a component of the framework itself. 4 An u m b e ro fe x a m p l e s have been reported, including those in which nicotinate, 5 glutarate 6 and theophylline 7 have been incorporated as linkers. Many MOFs can be prepared with coordinatively unsaturated metal centres, and small bioactive molecules such as NO have been incorporated into such systems by coordination to these metal sites. 8 In this communication, we report our initial studies on the inclusion into MOFs of the iron chelator drug deferiprone (Hdfp), which is used as an oral treatment for haemosiderosis (iron overload) that can occur as a consequence of regular blood transfusions required in the treatment of conditions such as thalassaemia major and haemochromatosis.9 Deferiprone has high sel...

A series of bismuth-dicarboxylate-deferiprone coordination networks have been prepared and structurally characterised. The new compounds have been demonstrated to release the iron overload drug deferiprone on treatment with PBS and have also been shown to have antibacterial activity against H. pylori.