A mixed Ce/Eu metal–organic framework for ratiometric detection of Al3+ ion

As a heavy metal ion, excessive aluminum ions pose a serious threat to human health and the ecological environment. Developing a simple, efficient, and fast detection method to detect the content of aluminum ions is of great significance, especially for ensuring human health and ecological safety. Herein, the mixed rare earth metal–organic framework (Ce_0.74Eu_0.26TPTC and Ce_0.62Eu_0.38TPTC) were prepared based on simple ligand 1,1′:4′,1″-Terphenyl-2′,4,4″,5′-tetracarboxylic acid (H₄TPTC). The Ce_0.74Eu_0.26TPTC and Ce_0.62Eu_0.38TPTC have dual luminescence centers, which can be used as ratio fluorescent probes to detect Al³⁺ ions, making the detection results more accurate and reliable. Therefore, this work can promote the further development of rare earth-based MOFs in the detection of heavy metal ions.