Oral Presentation Royal Australian Chemical Institute National Congress 2026

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Chiral Chemical Sensors (140627)

Pattara Siripanich 1 , Jierui Zhang 2 , Martina Lessio 2 , Carol Hua 1
  1. The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  2. School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia

The selective detection of chiral molecules remains a significant challenge due to the identical physicochemical properties of enantiomers in achiral environments. Chiral metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offer a promising platform for enantioselective sensing, combining structural tunability, high surface area, and the ability to incorporate well-defined chiral environments at the molecular level. By integrating chiral recognition sites within porous architectures, these materials enable stereospecific host–guest interactions that can be translated into measurable signals, such as changes in fluorescence intensity.

This presentation will highlight our latest results in the design of chiral MOFs as chiral fluorescent sensors, demonstrating their potential for sensitive and selective discrimination of enantiomeric species. The chiral sensing properties of BINOL-based systems will be highlighted and the mechanism of fluorescence quenching and guest position within the framework as elucidated through time resolved fluorescence and computational calculations will be discussed. 

 

  1. P. Siripanich, J. Zhang, M. Lessio, C. Hua, “A Chiral Metal-Organic Framework Fluorescent Sensor incorporating H8-BINOL”, Mater. Chem. Front., 2025, 9, 2087-2098.
  2. S. Thoonen, P. Siripanich, L. Hua, H. M. Tay, P. Ramkissoon, T. Smith, M. Lessio, C. Hua, “Enhancing Enantioselectivity in Chiral Metal Organic Framework Fluorescent Sensors”, Inorg. Chem. Front., 2024, 11, 3877 – 3888.
  3. S. Thoonen, H. M. Tay, C. Hua, “A chiral binaphthyl-based coordination polymer as an enantioselective fluorescence sensor”, Chem. Commun., 2022, 58, 4512 - 4515