A Porous Metal-Organic Framework as an Electrochemical Sensing Platform for Highly Selective Adsorption and Detection of Bisphenols.

The design of artificial receptors with a specific recognition function and enhanced selectivity is highly desirable in the electrochemical sensing field, which can be used for detection of environmental pollutants. In this facet, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) featured adjustable porosities and specific host-guest recognition properties. Especially, the large hydrophobic cavity formed in the porous MOFs may become a potential artificial receptor. We herein designed a new porous MOF [Zn(L)(IPA)(HO)]·2DMF·2MeOH·3HO () by using a functionalized sulfonylcalix[4]arene () and isophthalic acid (HIPA) (DMF = ,'-dimethylformamide). The specific pore size and pore shape of made it efficiently selective for absorption of bisphenol A (), bisphenol F (), and bisphenol S (). Therefore, a rapid, highly selective, and ultrasensitive electrochemical sensing platform was fabricated by using as a host to recognize and absorb bisphenol guests ( = graphite powder, = glassy carbon electrode). Most strikingly, the extremely low detection limits were up to 3.46 and 0.17 nM for and , respectively, using the electrode. Furthermore, the "recognition and adsorption" mechanism was uncovered by density functional theory with the B3LYP function. This work offered a prospective strategy for selective absorption and detection of harmful bisphenols with the MOF-based porous material.