Dual-Emission Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe Based on UiO-66-NH₂@CQDs for Quantitative Detection of Acetophenone

The pressing necessity to devise a fluorescent probe capable of identifying volatile organic compounds such as acetophenone (AP). This groundbreaking advancement plays a crucial role in preserving environmental health and ensuring public health. In this work, we synthesized a ratiometric UiO-66-NH₂@CQDs sensor through post-synthetic modification by anchoring carbon quantum dots onto UiO-66-NH₂ metal-organic framework, which could be readily utilized as self-calibrating nanoprobe for selective detection of AP over other potential interferants. Upon the addition of AP, UiO-66-NH₂@CQDs featured a decreased emission at 430 nm and an enhanced emission at 550 nm, accompanied by a characteristic fluorescence color transition from blue-green to yellow. By adopting the ration of I_430nm/I_550nm as the detection signal, UiO-66-NH₂@CQDs could distinguish AP with excellent performance. The limit of detection for AP was estimated to be 175.6 nM, which was a significant value. Additionally, we demonstrated that on-site visual inspection of AP in industrial wastewater using a paper-based UiO-66-NH₂@CQDs analysis device.