MOF or Metal Organic Framework is made of cadmium chloride for special purpose of detecting pesticide. It is synthesized under special condition.
Usually, MOFs are composed of two major components: a metal ion or cluster of metal ions and an organic molecule called a linker. Presence of pesticides in parts per billion in apples, tomatoes can be detected through this MOF.
The list of pesticide includes- azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos and parathion both in water solution and in apples and in tomatoes.
The MOF is highly sensitive such that the presence of pesticides as low as in parts per billion (ppb) can be detected.
The research is done by?
The team led by Dr. Partha Mahata from the Department of Chemistry
at Jadavpur University, Kolkata and Dr. Sudip Kumar Mondal of Department of
Chemistry, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan found that the ability to
detect the three pesticides was unaffected by the presence of surfactants.
Surfactants are used to dissolve pesticides in water.
Present Methods of Pestiside detection and
challenges?
Though currently available methods for pesticide detection are
efficient in terms of sensitivity, they have other challenges such as complicated
procedure to prepare samples, longer time to analyse samples, need for
sophisticated instruments and lack of portability for use infield use.
How was it formed?
The researchers synthesised the MOF by mixing cadmium chloride and
organic ligand in methanol and water at room temperature. After seven days, a
single crystal of MOF is formed; such crystals were used for the study.
The MOF was found to emit intense luminescence at 290 nanometre
when excited by light at 225 nanometre. It is the organic ligand that shows the
intense luminescence. The organic ligand is tightly bound to the metal
framework and forms a crystalline structure. So loss due to vibration gets
reduced and luminescence intensity increases.
In a paper published in the journal Inorganic
Chemistry, the researchers say that traces of pesticides in samples
were detected by looking for reduction in the intensity of luminescence when
the sample containing pesticide was added. At a concentration of 30 micromolar
of azinphos-methyl and chlorpyrifos pesticides, the luminescence intensity
reduced (or quenched) by 90% and 52% respectively. There was 49% reduction in
luminescence in the case of parathion.
Three factors
A combination of three factors is responsible for luminescence
quenching. When the MOF comes in contact with pesticides, there is energy
transfer (resonance energy transfer) from MOF to the pesticides. There is also
electron transfer from MOF to pesticides. Finally, pesticides also absorb some
amount of light used for exciting the MOF.
In the case of azinphos-methyl pesticide, the MOF was able to
detect its presence in water even when the concentration of the pesticide was
as low as 25 nanomolar (almost 0.008 mg per litre or 8 ppb). The sensitivity
will be a little less in the case of other two pesticides [chlorpyrifos, and
parathion] but it will still be in the ppb range.
The researchers tested the MOF’s ability to detect azinphos-methyl
pesticide in apple and tomato extracts. When 30 micromolar of the pesticide was
used, the luminescence quenching or reduction was 71% and 80% in the case of
apple and tomato extract respectively. So the cadmium-based MOF can be used as
an alternative pesticide sensor in both water solution and sample extracts.
Future Use
There is a plan to develop
MOF-based sensors where can see colour changes in visible region of light.
