Lanthanide-functionalized metal-organic frameworks based ratiometric fluorescent sensor array for identification and determination of antibiotics

Antibiotics have made great contributions to the improvement of human health and life quality. However, the current abuse of antibiotics not only has a serious impact on the environment, but also endangers people's health. For this reason, the simultaneous identification and accurate determination of as many antibiotics in the environment, food and organisms as possible is critical. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescent sensor array based on Eu3+ and Tb3+ co-doped metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) was fabricated. Benefiting from the sensitization of the organic ligands to Eu3+ and Tb3+, the reaction of MOFs with various antibiotics resulted in different responses to the ratio of fluorescent intensity at 545 nm and 616 nm (F-545/F-616). After these responses were differentiated by principal component analysis (PCA), totally eight kinds of 25 antibiotics were well distinguished with the existence of interfering substances. The proposed sensor array exhibited high accuracy (98%) for the identification of 48 unknown samples in water and outstanding quantitative ability for the mixture of antibiotics. Finally, the practicability of the sensor array for the analysis of real samples was proved. In this strategy, we have not only provided an efficient way for the comprehensive identification and determination of antibiotics, but also promised new opportunities for the development of ratiometric signal based sensor array.

Automated summary

Antibiotics have greatly improved human health and quality of life, but their abuse has serious consequences for the environment and human health. A ratiometric fluorescent sensor array based on metal-organic frameworks was developed for the simultaneous identification and accurate determination of multiple antibiotics in water, successfully distinguishing 48 unknown antibiotic samples with high accuracy and outstanding quantitative ability.