Fiber optic luminescence-based sensor using metal-organic frameworks for detection of rare earth elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12553828-B2
Application number	US-202318229329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2023
Priority date	Aug 2, 2023
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

A system and method for detecting and quantifying the concentration of rare earth elements in a fluid contacting a sensor, the method having the steps of: providing the sensor to an environment such that the sensor is in contact with the fluid, wherein the sensor features a fiber extending between a first end and a second end along a longitudinal axis, wherein the sensor further features a coating on the second end of the fiber, and wherein the coating is a metal-organic framework material including, but not limited to zinc adeninate, 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate, 4,4-biphenyldicarboxylate, and combinations thereof; interrogating the sensor with light; collecting a luminescent signal; and detecting the rare earth elements in the fluid contacting the sensor using the luminescent signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method to detect and quantify rare earth elements in a fluid contacting a sensor, comprising:
providing the sensor to an environment such that the sensor is in contact with the fluid, wherein the sensor comprises a fiber extending between a first end and a second end along a longitudinal axis, wherein the sensor further comprises a coating on the second end of the fiber, wherein the coating comprises a metal-organic framework material; removing the sensor from contact with the fluid and drying the sensor; interrogating the sensor with light; collecting a luminescent signal; and detecting the rare earth elements in the fluid contacting the sensor using the luminescent signal, wherein the fluid comprises a pH less than or equal to about 1, a concentration of non-rare earth element metals at least several orders of magnitude greater than a concentration of rare earth elements therein, or combinations thereof.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises a crystalline, ordered, highly porous material comprising metal centers linked by organic ligands.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises zinc adeninate and a polar, aprotic solvent.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate.

5 . The method of claim 3 wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises 4,4-biphenyldicarboxylate.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the rare earth element comprises a lanthanide selected from a group consisting of terbium, europium, dysprosium, neodymium, ytterbium, samarium, and combinations thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-organic framework material is immobilized on the fiber using a coating procedure selected from the group of coating procedures consisting of sol-gel coating, dipcoating, and combinations thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the metal-organic framework comprises pores, and wherein detecting the rare earth elements step comprises encapsulating the rare earth elements in the pores.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the method sensitizes the rare earth elements to luminescence-based detection.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the luminescent signal is produced by the rare earth element in the fluid upon exposure to light.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the luminescent signal is collected downstream from the sensor by a simple optical detector.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the method provides a limit of detection of the rare earth elements in the fluid between approximately 60 and approximately 780 parts per billion.

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein the method provides a limit of quantification of the rare earth elements in the fluid between approximately 210 and approximately 2600 parts per billion.

14 . A rare earth element sensor comprising:
a fiber extending between a first end and a second end along a longitudinal axis, wherein the fiber further comprises a coating on the second end of the fiber, wherein the coating is dried prior to interrogation of the sensor with light, and wherein the coating comprises a metal-organic framework material, wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises pores wherein the pores encapsulate excited rare earth elements from a fluid.

15 . The sensor of claim 14 wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises a crystalline, ordered, highly porous material comprising metal centers linked by organic ligands.

16 . The sensor of claim 14 wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises zinc adeninate and a polar, aprotic solvent.

17 . The sensor of claim 14 wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate.

18 . The sensor of claim 14 wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises 4,4-biphenyldicarboxylate.

19 . The sensor of claim 14 wherein the fluid comprises a pH less than or equal to about 1.

20 . The sensor of claim 14 wherein the fluid comprises a pH less than or equal to about 1 and a non-rare earth element metal concentration at least several orders of magnitude greater than a rare earth element concentration therein.

21 . The sensor of claim 14 wherein the fluid comprises a pH greater than or equal to about 2 a non-rare earth element metal concentration at least several orders of magnitude greater than a rare earth element concentration therein.

Assignees

• Us Energy

Inventors

• Ohodnicki Jr Paul R
• Baltrus John P
• Crawford Scott E

Classifications

• G01N21/645

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