Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of Quinolone Antibiotics Using Lanthanide Metal–Organic Framework-Based White-Light Materials

Antibiotics have emerged as predominant contaminants in wastewater, posing significant threats to ecosystems and public health. Consequently, the detection of these antibiotic residues is imperative for mitigating environmental pollution and ensuring food safety. Metal–organic frameworks, characterized by their distinctive structures and optical properties, present innovative solutions for the efficient and sensitive detection of antibiotics. In this study, two lanthanide-based MOF luminophores were synthesized, and by fine-tuning their proportions, white light-emitting materials were developed for the detection of quinolone antibiotics. These luminophores exhibit antibiotic detection through observable colorimetric changes, achieving detection limits as low as 4.863 × 10⁻⁸ M for ciprofloxacin (CPFX) and 9.259 × 10⁻⁷ M for norfloxacin (NFX). This research lays a substantial foundation for the development of high-performance sensors, thereby advancing the field of environmental monitoring technologies.