Highly selective detection of Pb2+ by a nanoscale Ni-based metal-organic framework fabricated through one-pot hydrothermal reaction

•Nanoplate NH2-MIL-53(Ni) has been prepared for the first time by a simple one-pot hydrothermal reaction.•It presents an effective material for the selective electrochemical detection of microgram levels of Pb2+ in aqueous solution.•This method offers a new strategy for heavy metal detection using MOF materials.

An amino-functionalized Ni(II)-based metal-organic framework (MOF), which employs 2-aminobenzenedicarboxylic acid as an organic linker, has been prepared by a simple one-pot hydrothermal reaction and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The prepared MOFs were found to be an effective material for the selective electrochemical detection of microgram levels of Pb2+ in aqueous solution performed by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The electrochemical properties and applications of the modified electrode were also studied, in which operational parameters such as pH, deposition potential, and deposition time, were optimized to detect trace amounts of Pb2+ ions. This method offers a new strategy for heavy metal detection using MOF materials.