Single-Component Dual-Emissive MOF Sensor Array for Fingerprint Identification of Multiplex Antibiotics

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Antibiotic residues in the environment pose significant risks to ecosystems and human health.
• Current analytical methods struggle to simultaneously detect and differentiate multiple antibiotic classes.
• There is a critical need for advanced sensing technologies for comprehensive antibiotic monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a single-element sensor capable of simultaneously detecting and differentiating multiple antibiotic residues.
• To create a multidimensional fluorescence response system for antibiotic pattern recognition.
• To validate the sensor's performance in real environmental samples.

Main Methods:

• Design and synthesis of a dual-emissive Europium-doped Zirconium metal-organic framework (ZrEu-MOF).
• Utilizing differential binding affinities and sensing mechanisms for unique fluorescent fingerprint generation.
• Integration of multidimensional fluorescence data (intensity, emission wavelength) with multivariate statistical analysis for pattern recognition.

Main Results:

• The single-element sensor array successfully distinguished 12 different antibiotics.
• Achieved robust quantitative performance for individual antibiotic compounds.
• Demonstrated high accuracy in identifying antibiotics within complex mixtures and real environmental samples.

Conclusions:

• Single-element dual-emission MOFs are effective platforms for high-throughput antibiotic monitoring.
• The developed sensor array enables precise pattern recognition for multiclass antibiotic contaminants.
• This approach offers a practical solution for environmental surveillance of antibiotic residues.