Highly performance DMMP optical sensor based on zeolitic imidazolate frameworks three-dimensional photonic crystals

Abstract

Due to protect soldiers and civilians in case of threats of chemical warfare agents (CWAs), there is an urgent need to develop a gas sensor with high selectivity, sensitivity, and excellent stability for detecting CWAs. Herein, we proposed a three-dimensional photonic crystals (3D PCs) gas sensor based on zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) for the detection of CWAs simulant, dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP). ZIFs particles with different metal ion contents were induced to self-assemble into ZIF-8, Co/Zn ZIFs and ZIF-67 3D PCs sensors in a template-free method. The sensing application of ZIFs 3D PCs sensors for the detection of DMMP vapor was investigated. The ZIF-8 3D PCs sensor showed excellent sensing performance for DMMP, with a concentration sensitivity of 0.10 nm ppm−1 and a limit of detection of up to sub-ppm level (LOD = 0.99 ppm) at room temperature. Moreover, the ZIF-8 3D PCs sensor exhibited high stability and repeatability, and keeps remarkable sensing performance under heat treatment at 200 °C and long-term storage conditions for 30 days. Our results reveal that ZIF-8 3D PCs sensor is a promising candidate for the effective detection of DMMP vapor, opening up a new strategy for the use of ZIFs for chemical warfare agents monitoring in optical sensing.