A Ni(ii)MOF-based hypersensitive dual-function luminescent sensor towards the 3-nitrotyrosine biomarker and 6-propyl-2-thiouracil antithyroid drug in urine†

Trace detection of bioactive small molecules (BSMs) in body fluids is of great importance for disease diagnosis, drug discovery, and health monitoring. Based on the chiral ligand of 4,4′-(1,2-dihydroxyethane-1,2-diyl)dibenzoic acid (H₂L), an achiral 3D porous Ni(II)-MOF, with a trinuclear cluster based (3,9)-c {4²·6}₃{4⁶·6²¹·8⁹}-xmz net, was constructed under solvothermal conditions. Benefiting from its robust framework and excellent luminescent performance, NiMOF was endowed with remarkable capabilities in efficiently, rapidly, and sensitively detecting the 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) biomarker and 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (6-PTU) thyroid drug based on the spectral overlap and photo-induced electron transfer (PET) caused luminescence quenching response. Notably, NiMOF exhibited exceptional performance in quantifying 3-NT and 6-PTU in urine samples, yielding highly satisfactory results. Additionally, an intelligent detection system was crafted to enhance the reliability and practicability of 3-NT/6-PTU detection in urine, based on tandem combinational logic gates. This work not only heralds a promising trajectory in the development of MOF-based luminescent sensors, but also paves the way for the intelligent monitoring of BSMs in real bodily fluids.