Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), are an extensive class of crystalline or nanocrystalline materials with enormous internal surface areas and ultrahigh porosity. These extended crystalline structures are composed of metal cations or clusters of cations ("nodes") that are connected by multitopic organic "strut" or "linker" ions or molecules. This research involves the development of chemically and thermally stable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the sensitive and selective detection of toxic heavy metals (such as Hg, Pb, Cd, Fe, Cu, and Zn) in oil-polluted waste water. The detection of heavy metals has gained importance due to their non-biodegradable accumulative characteristics and strong toxicity at low concentration. These MOFs help the petroleum and petroleum-related industries of the Kingdom to determine the concentration of these metals in the waste water and to take appropriate measures if excessive concentrations are present.

• Development of Luminescent MOF: Synthesis of new organic ligands with suitable binding sites for heavy metals and suitable chromogenic and fluorogenic moieties for optical sensing. Synthesis and characterization of thermally and chemically stable MOFs and nanostructured MOFs with these ligands.
• Analysis of oil polluted water with Luminescent MOF: Investigation of the optical sensing properties of the synthesized or modified MOFs and nanostructured MOFs with different heavy metals. Studying the selectivity and sensitivity of particular MOF for heavy metals and the mechanism of absorption or fluorescence emission. Application of suitable MOFs to the detection of heavy metals in oil-polluted waste water.
• On spot detection: Preparation of MOFs and nanostructured MOFs sensors for on-the-spot naked-eye detection of heavy metals in waste water.