Charged ligand-driven photoluminescence sensing enhancements in terbium-modified two-dimensional metal–organic frameworks

Charged ligands and terbium ions are post-synthetically coordinated in a two-dimensional, dispersible, and water-stable zirconium-based metal-organic framework (MOF). MOF molecular sheets with positively charged and negatively charged ligands provide distinct electrostatic interactions to ionic analytes, thereby enhancing the photoluminescence detection of nitrite and ferric ions in aqueous media, respectively.