Luminescent MOF-based sensors engineered for monitoring ROS and RNS: recent advances and perspective

Oxidative metabolism generates various reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which play crucial roles in both physiological and pathological processes. At optimal levels, these species regulate essential functions like oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid metabolism, protein folding, and immune response. However, excessive ROS/RNS production contributes to diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer. Therefore, accurate detection of ROS/RNS is crucial for diagnosing these diseases and monitoring environmental pollution. Fluorescent metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising sensor materials for selective and sensitive detection of ROS/RNS in biological and environmental systems. While various studies have explored MOF-based fluorescence sensing for detecting ROS and RNS, a comprehensive summary is lacking. This review aims to provide an extensive overview of MOF-based fluorescence sensors for ROS and RNS detection. In this summary of research, we discussed key parameters of the reported MOF-based fluorescent sensors i.e., MOF functionalization strategies, selectivity, response time, sensitivity (limit of detection (LOD), and Stern–Volmer constant (K_sv)), and proposed detection mechanisms. Additionally, insights from this review will benefit pharmaceutical and environmental scientists in disease diagnosis and pollution monitoring. By identifying research gaps, we hope to encourage the development of advanced MOF-based sensors for underexplored ROS and RNS, fostering innovation in both biomedical and environmental fields.