Discriminative Molecular Detection Based on Competitive Absorption by a Luminescent Metal–Organic Framework

Distinguishing
specific molecules from similar chemical species
with minor structural differences is challenging, and differentiation
has typically been based on analyte-dependent host–guest interactions
upon irradiation with a single wavelength. In this study, we prepared
a Cd-based metal–organic framework exhibiting nearly constant
emission intensity over a wide range of excitations. Because of its
unique emission characteristics, this material facilitated the differentiation
of specific molecules amidst structurally similar chemical species
via competitive absorption. Such discriminative identification was
uniquely achieved based on the use of different excitation wavelengths
and is demonstrated to be applicable to the recognition of a target
analyte in sensory applications.