Amino-enriched Zn-MOFs with self-reduction for energy-free simultaneous removal and electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions in the aquatic environment

Zhiying Shao; Kezuo Di; Lijun Ding; Fuheng You; Cunhao Fan; Kun Wang

doi:10.1016/j.aca.2024.343408

Amino-enriched Zn-MOFs with self-reduction for energy-free simultaneous removal and electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions in the aquatic environment

Anal Chim Acta. 2025 Jan 2:1333:343408. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2024.343408. Epub 2024 Nov 6.

Authors

Zhiying Shao¹, Kezuo Di², Lijun Ding³, Fuheng You², Cunhao Fan², Kun Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, 212013, Zhenjiang, PR China.
² School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, 212013, Zhenjiang, PR China.
³ School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, 212013, Zhenjiang, PR China; Key Laboratory of Optic-Electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, 266042, Qingdao, PR China.
⁴ School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, 212013, Zhenjiang, PR China; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, 212013, Zhenjiang, PR China; Key Laboratory of Optic-Electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, 266042, Qingdao, PR China. Electronic address: wangkun@ujs.edu.cn.

PMID: 39615918
DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2024.343408

Abstract

Background: Heavy metal pollution is a global environmental problem. Self-reduction strategy has garnered attention in adsorption and electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions due to their operational simplicity and elimination of the need for external electrodeposition steps. Therefore, it is crucial to integrate self-reduction-based adsorption with electrochemical detection. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated successful applications in adsorption and electrochemical detection. Moreover, owing to the presence of organic ligands featuring amino and electron-rich aromatic ring moieties, MOFs possess reducing capabilities towards metal ions.

Results: Herein, 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine, characterized by its abundance of amino and electron-rich aromatic ring constituents, was selected as the organic ligand for the synthesis of Zn-MOFs, showcasing their efficacy in self-reduction-based adsorption and electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions. The Zn-MOFs exhibited swift uptake of heavy metal ions, boasting a remarkable adsorption capacity (4624 mg/g for Cu(II), 4261 mg/g for Hg(II), and 4874 mg/g for Pb(II)), while also exhibiting low detection limits (0.17 μg/L for Cu(II), 0.25 μg/L for Hg(II), and 0.22 μg/L for Pb(II)) in the electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions.

Significance: In this work, amino-rich Zn-MOFs were prepared for self-reducing adsorption and electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions, providing promising material for the detection and removal of heavy metal ions, offering a new method for the effective elimination and rapid detection of heavy metal ions, and pointing out a promising path for the treatment and monitoring of environmental issues.

Keywords: Adsorption; Electrochemical detection; Heavy metal ions; Metal-organic frameworks; Self-reduction.