ABSTRACT
The growing demand for the detection of specific target gases/vapors/chemicals and the continuous monitoring of toxic analytes in various environments is of great research interest in the field of pollution and environmental monitoring. Sensing elements with an enhanced response, selectivity, and stability towards the detection of target analytes facilitates accurate measurement in a real-time scenario. In this context, sensing elements fabricated using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has gained significant importance owing to their large surface area, enhanced catalytic activity, chemical tunability, and so on. The tunable characteristics of MOFs make them promising candidates for sensing applications. To date, various MOF-based sensing platforms have been reported for a wide range of analyte detection, including heavy metal ions, toxic anions, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemical warfare agents (CWAs), and organic pollutants. Moreover, the biodegradability, non-toxic nature, and availability of functional groups on the organic linkers to tune the sensing performance of MOFs has widened their applications in the chemical and bio-sensing fields. With this background, this chapter aims to provide an overview of potential properties of MOFs such as secondary building unit (SBU) geometry, porosity, and structural diversity, besides thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability for use as sensing elements. Also, approaches such as functionalization and defect engineering, which influence the sensing performance of MOFs, have been highlighted.
