Logic-operated ratiometric fluorescent probe and smartphone sensor array for multiplexed fluoroquinolone detection

The residues of widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs), including danofloxacin (DNX), enrofloxacin (ENR), norfloxacin (NFX), and pefloxacin (PEF), may accumulate in humans through contaminated water/food, posing health risks. Therefore, the rapid detection of FQs is of great research significance. In light of this, Tb/CdTe QD probes were developed in this study for the quantitative detection of multiple FQs, and a logic gate sensor array was constructed based on this probe to enable qualitative differentiation of these antibiotics. The probe possessed excellent anti-interference capability and remarkable stability. In real samples detection, such as lake water, tap water, milk, honey, and eggs, high recovery rates were successfully achieved. The detection limits for DNX, ENR, NFX, and PEF were 3.69 nM, 6.56 nM, 8.70 nM, and 4.72 nM, respectively. Furthermore, by integrating this ratio fluorescent probe with the color recognition software on a smartphone, visual semi-quantitative detection of FQs was successfully realized.