A Cu-MOF-based fluorescent sensor for selective and sensitive detection of tetracycline in water

Tetracycline (TC) is one of the most extensively used antimicrobial agents in human and veterinary medicine. Tetracycline residues in water pose potential ecological risks and contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, developing accurate, sensitive, and rapid analytical methods for detecting TC residues in environmental water samples is crucial. Herein, copper metal-organic frameworks (Cu-MOFs) were constructed for TC detection based on fluorescence sensing. The fluorescence sensor was optimized at pH = 8 with a response time of 1 min for quantitative determination of TC in water samples. In this study, TC was detected quantitatively with a recovery rate of 99.86%–126.8% in water samples. Within a wide linear range of 0–100 μM, the Cu-MOFs nanosensor exhibits a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.24 nM. Moreover, the results showed good agreement with the HPLC outcomes, indicating that the Cu-MOF sensing probe exhibits great precision and repeatability. In conclusion, the novel fluorescence sensor developed in this study can accurately and sensitively detect tetracycline in water samples.