Design and fabrication of integrated ternary hybrid nanocomposites based on Ni-MOF/GO/AgNPs: A bi-functional catalyst for simultaneous sensor detection and photocatalytic degradation of dual nitroaromatic antibiotics

Abstract

Antibiotic residues may cause severe health issues at low concentrations. Detecting nitroaromatic-based antibiotics in aqueous and soil environments is crucial to human health; however, it poses a serious challenge to degradation and sensor detection. In order to address these issues, we developed Ni-MOF hybrid composites embedded with graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to generate rapid and simultaneous electrochemical sensors and the catalytic degradation of nitrofurantoin (NFT) and chloramphenicol (CAP). Hybrid materials were synthesized using both solvothermal and ultrasonic stirrer-assisted routes, and their components were characterized by spectral, morphological, and electrochemical studies. In the fabricated electrochemical sensors, CAP and NFT can be detected individually and simultaneously with distinct peak separations even at fourfold higher concentrations. Electrochemical sensors based on CAP and NFT provide excellent performance, exhibiting wide linearity ranges of 0.00025–800 μM and 0.0005–750 μM, sensitivity of 15.56 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻² and 12.85 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻², and limits of detection (LOD) of 0.057 nM and 0.161 nM (S/N = 3). Interference-free characteristics surpass interference with amino acids, proteins, structurally similar antibiotics, biomolecules, and metal ions, and have outstanding sensor stability and reproducibility. The practicability of real samples of turbid milk, effluent water, commercial drugs, and colored bio-fluid urine samples was examined and recovery was 96.34–99.56 % and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1.02–2.07 %. Moreover, Ni-MOF-GO-AgNPs composites are key catalysts for degrading CAP and NFT, exhibiting 71.24 % and 96.53 % degradation within 70 and 75 min, and displaying superior stability and reusability. Finally, advances in sensors and catalytic degradation represent significant progress in the fight against antibiotic residue pollution.