A fluorescent composite of europium metal organic framework with carbon dots for highly sensitive and specific detection of ciprofloxacin

The excessive and non-judicious use of antibiotics contributes to the majority of pharmaceutical contaminants, leading to negative influence on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is crucial to develop detection techniques for antibiotic contamination that can produce a rapid, sensitive, and antibiotic-selective responses in diverse samples. In this study, a novel composite of europium-based MOFs and red emissive carbon dots (RCDs) was synthesized for sensitive and selective fluorometric sensing of ciprofloxacin (CIP). The RCDs@Eu-BTE composite was characterized using different microscopic and spectroscopic studies. Notably, the composite demonstrated intense fluorescence emission as compared to Eu-BTE and RCDs alone. The enhanced fluorescence of RCDs@Eu-BTE composite resulted in greater sensitivity towards CIP with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.13 µg/L over a wide linear detection range (0.1-100 µg/L). Moreover, the prepared RCDs@Eu-BTE composite displayed good stability, easy regeneration, and efficient reusability; these features suggest its potential as an effective fluorescence probe for analytical applications.