Copper-based 2D Conductive Metal Organic Framework Thin Films for Ultrasensitive Detection of Perfluoroalkyls in Drinking Water

Perfluoroalkyls (PFAS) continue to emerge as a global health threat making their effective detection and capture extremely important. Though metal organic frameworks (MOF) have stood out as a promising class of porous materials for sensing PFAS, detection limits remain insufficient and fundamental understanding of detection mechanisms warrant further investigation. Here we show the use of a 2D conductive MOF film based on copper hexahydroxy triphenylene (Cu-HHTP) to fabricate a chemiresistive sensing device for detecting PFAS in drinking water. We further show ultrasensitive detection using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Owing to excellent electrostatic attractions and electrochemical interactions between the copper-based MOF and PFAS, the MOF-based sensor reported herein exhibits unprecedented affinity and sensitivity towards perfluorinated acids at concentrations as low as of 0.002 ng/L.