Design of functionalized luminescent MOF sensor for the precise monitoring of tuberculosis drug and neonicotinoid pesticide from human body-fluids and food samples to protect health and environment

Abstract

Selectively detecting pharmaceutical drugs and pesticides from drinking water and environmental water sources with an ultralow detection limit by a simple handling method remains challenging. To circumvent such challenges, we prepared an aluminum metal–organic framework (MOF) using 2-(((2-hydroxy naphthalene-1-yl)methyl)amino)terephthalic acid (H₂L) linker. We explored the potential of the guest-free MOF for the fluorescence detection of a broadly utilized neonicotinoid category of pesticide called nitenpyram and a very common antibiotic drug used for curing tuberculosis, namely rifampicin. It is the first MOF-based fluorescent sensor capable of detecting nitenpyram and rifampicin by fluorescent turn-off mode. This probe has lower detection limits (LOD for rifampicin: 11.7 nM and nitenpyram: 13.8 nM) as compared to those of formerly reported probes for nitenpyram and rifampicin sensing. It can detect nitenpyram and rifampicin instantaneously (within 5 s). The ultrafast nature of this probe makes it superior to the previously reported time-consuming probes. This sensor material is recyclable five times for sensing nitenpyram and rifampicin, boosting its cost-effectiveness and sustainability. This chemically robust MOF material was utilized for the fluorometric detection of both analytes in drinking water and environmental water samples. The probe can also precisely quantify rifampicin from human blood serum and urine and nitenpyram from soil and food samples (rice and corn). The mechanistic aspects of the detection process have been unveiled with the help of systematic experimental techniques and molecular simulations. In addition, the repeatability and reproducibility of the probe to sense both analytes were demonstrated. The overall work presents an inexpensive and compatible multiple-usable photoluminescent sensor of nitenpyram and rifampicin to address real-world issues.