Rapid Synthesis of UiO-66 by means of Electrochemical Cathode Method with Electrochemical Detection of 2,4,6-TCP

Abstract Electrochemical cathode methods were used to rapidly synthesize metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) UiO-66 and applied to electrochemical detection of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP). The effects of reaction voltage, time and temperature on the rapid synthesis of UiO-66 by means of electrochemical cathode method were systematically studied. It was confirmed that the UiO-66 synthesized by this method had small particle size with the diameter of 60 nm. Moreover, the UiO-66’s performance in electrochemical detection of 2,4,6-TCP was studied. The effect of the content for UiO-66 in the electrode, the types of electrolyte solution, and the pH value of the electrolyte solution on the electrochemical detection of 2,4,6-TCP were systematically investigated. The minimum detection limit of this experiment could reach 6.49 × 10-9 M (1.29 μg/L), which is significantly lower than the one specified by the national standard: 10 μg/L in drinking water. The limit of detection concentration is significantly lower than that of UiO-66-CPE prepared by conventional hydrothermal methods. Furthermore, in addition to 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and phenol, some common cations and anions had only weak effect on the signals of 2,4,6-TCP with signal change less by 10%. This strategy provides specificity and sensitivity approach for the detection of 2,4,6-TCP and has promising applications in the water analysis field.