A Multi-Functional Fluorescence Sensing Platform Based on a Defective UiO-66 for Tetracycline and Moxifloxacin

Abstract

In recent years, the excessive use and disordered discharge of antibiotics have had sustained adverse effects on ecological balance and human health. The convenient and effective detection of these “emerging pollutants” has become one of the research hotspots in the environmental field. In this study, a defective UiO-66 material, namely UiO-66-D, was constructed for the sensitive and selective sensing of tetracycline (TC) and moxifloxacin (MXF) in water. By utilizing a modulated synthesis approach with concentrated HCl, stable blue fluorescence at 400 nm was achieved for UiO-66-D. The as-prepared UiO-66-D could conduct the inner filter effect (IFE) within a short time (10 s) when sensing TC and MXF, and the fluorescence of the UiO-66-D was quenched. In particular, when sensing MXF, a ratiometric signal response was generated due to the combined effect of the IFE and the fluorescence of MXF itself. The sensitive and selective detection of TC and MXF using UiO-66-D was free from the interference of common anions and cations in water samples. The detection limit (LOD) for TC was determined to be 70.9 nM (0–115 μM), while for MXF, it was found to be 33.1 nM (0–24 μM). Additionally, UiO-66-D was successfully used to recognize TC and MXF in lake water with good recoveries, demonstrating that UiO-66-D exhibits substantial potential in the recognition of pollutants in environmental waters.