Fast visualization of multiple trace antibiotics by modified Eu/Tb MOF test paper

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Antibiotic contamination in aquatic environments poses a significant risk to ecosystems and human health.
• Existing methods for detecting multiple trace antibiotics often suffer from low efficiency and complexity.
• There is a need for rapid, sensitive, and portable analytical tools for on-site monitoring of antibiotic residues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel lanthanide metal-organic framework (MOF) material for the rapid visual quantitation of trace antibiotics.
• To enhance the interaction between the MOF material and target antibiotics through ligand modification.
• To create a portable and visual detection system for simultaneous analysis of multiple antibiotics in complex water samples.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a modified lanthanide MOF, Ln-MOF(NH2)@R6G, incorporating NH2-BDC and R6G ligands.
• Utilizing the material's visible color change for naked-eye detection and loading onto test paper for semi-quantitative analysis.
• Developing a data model based on RGB-CIE variation maps for simultaneous visual quantification of norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin in coexisting systems.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Ln-MOF(NH2)@R6G demonstrated rapid detection (within 1 min) with very low limits of detection for norfloxacin (16.56 nM), ciprofloxacin (6.14 nM), and tetracycline (19.6 nM).
• The material enabled semi-quantitative detection of antibiotics in actual water systems (10-100 μM) via color change on test paper.
• Simultaneous visual quantification of coexisting norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin was achieved with high accuracy (recoveries 96.48%-105.34%) and precision (RSD 0.03%-0.81%).

Conclusions:

• The developed Ln-MOF(NH2)@R6G material offers a promising portable visual analysis tool for trace antibiotics in complex waters.
• This approach provides a novel strategy for in situ screening of environmental pollutants, addressing the limitations of current detection methods.
• The study highlights the potential of modified MOFs in developing efficient and accessible environmental monitoring technologies.