Ionic Liquid-Functionalized Magnetic Metal-Organic Framework Nanocomposites for Efficient Extraction and Sensitive Detection of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics in Environmental Water

Herein, the hydrophobic carboxyl-functionalized ionic liquid (IL-COOH) was encapsulated into the prepared Fe3O4@Zr-MOFs, and the novel water-stable IL-COOH/Fe3O4@ Zr-MOF nanocomposites were first synthesized. The polydopamine-functionalized Fe3O4 was introduced to construct the core- shell structure via layer-by-layer modification, and the controlled growth of Zr-MOFs was achieved, which realized the adjustment of charged properties of nanocomposites and simplified the adsorption or extraction process. The IL-COOH/Fe3O4@ZrMOFs were fully studied by IR, HNMR, XRD, N-2 adsorption- desorption isotherms, TEM, EDS mapping, VSM, and so on. Then, they were employed for the selective adsorption and detection of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs). The adsorption isotherms and kinetics demonstrated that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. Among them, IL-COOH/Fe3O4@UiO-67-bpydc showed the best adsorption performance, and the maximum adsorption capacity of ofloxacin was 438.5 mg g(-1). Coupled magnetic solid-phase extraction with HPLC-DAD, a convenient, sensitive, and efficient method for extraction and detection of FQs in environmental water, was developed based on IL-COOH/Fe3O4@UiO-67-bpydc. The recoveries of environmental water were ranging from 90.0 to 110.0%, and the detection limits were lower than 0.02 mu g L-1. The novel functionalized composites served as solid-phase adsorbents and liquid-phase extractants. This study also provided a promising strategy for designing and preparing multi-functionalized nanocomposites for the removal or detection of pollutants in environmental samples.

Automated summary

A novel water-stable IL-COOH/Fe3O4@Zr-MOF nanocomposite was synthesized for the selective adsorption and detection of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, with IL-COOH/Fe3O4@UiO-67-bpydc showing the best adsorption performance. Coupled magnetic solid-phase extraction with HPLC-DAD was developed as a convenient, sensitive, and efficient method for extraction and detection of FQs in environmental water, with recoveries ranging from 90.0 to 110.0% and detection limits lower than 0.02 μg L-1.