Post-Synthetic Modification of an Amino-Functionalized Metal–Organic Framework for Highly In Situ Luminescent Detection of Mercury (II)

A sulfur-containing metal–organic framework, donated as UiO-66-NSMe, was prepared by the post-synthetic modification (PSM) of UiO-66-NH2 with 2-(Methylthio)benzaldehyde, and the successful synthesis of PSM was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FT-IR and 1H NMR studies. According to the characteristics of mercury thiophilic, UiO-66-NSMe could be used as a luminescent sensor for Hg2+ detection with a high selectivity and sensitivity (Ksv = 2.5 × 104 M−1; LOD = 20 nM), which could be attributed to the coordination between sulfur sites and Hg2+ based on XPS results. In practical applications, UiO-66-NSMe yielded satisfactory recovery rates (ranging from 96.1% to 99.5%) when it was employed for detecting Hg2+ in spiked environmental samples. Furthermore, UiO-66-NSMe was successfully employed to detect mercury (II) residues with the in situ rapid nondestructive imaging in simulated fresh agricultural products. Thus, this PSM strategy could provide good guidance for environmental protection methodologies in the future.