FcCe-MOF-NH2-based colorimetric and fluorometric dual-mode detection of sulfide ions

Sulfide ions, commonly present as toxic anions in industrial processes, require the creation of a convenient and reliable detection platform. In this study, we developed a dual-mode colorimetric and fluorometric method to detect sulfide ions using the cerium-ferrocene bimetal-organic framework (MOF), i.e., FcCe-MOF-NH2, which was synthesized by a common solvo-thermal approach. The FcCe-MOF-NH2 promises the peroxidase-like activity and blue emission peaked at 453 nm. In the presence of H2O2, the FcCe-MOF-NH2 catalyzed 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation, yielding the blue oxidized product (oxTMB), while the fluorescence peak at 452 nm was suppressed by the inner filter effect (IFE). The Km values of FcCe-MOF-NH2 for TMB and H2O2 were 0.099 mM and 0.179 mM, respectively, showing its good affinity with the substrates. Due to a unique redox reaction between H2O2 and S2−, the peroxidase-like activity of FcCe-MOF-NH2 was markedly suppressed, leading to fluorescence restoration. Hence, the colorimetric and fluorometric dual-mode detection of S2− was realized, exhibiting a linear range of 0.5–100 μM and 0.2–60 μM with a detection limit of 0.43 μM and 0.078 μM, respectively. The developed platform was successfully applied to the detection of S2− in actual water samples.