A Europium–Organic Framework Sensing Material for 2-Aminoacetophenone, a Bacterial Biomarker in Water

Abstract

2-Aminoacetophenone (<b>2-AA</b>) is a metabolite produced in large quantities by the pathogenic bacteria <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (PA), which is a biomarker for PA in water. State-of-the-art analytical techniques to detect PA usually require expensive instruments and a long analysis time which are not suitable for real-time water quality monitoring, especially for high-quality drinking water. Herein, we reported the application of a europium metal-organic framework (Eu-MOF) as a luminescent sensing material, which provides a facile, environmentally friendly and low-cost way for the fast detection of PA in water. Eu-MOF shows a high sensitivity toward <b>2-AA</b> with a <i>K</i>_SV value of 3.563 × 10⁴ M^-1, rapid luminescence response in 12 s and high-selectivity and anti-interference ability with the existence of common detection indexes in drinking water owing to the good match of the energy levels of Eu-MOF and <b>2-AA</b>. A systematical optimization of the sensing conditions to enhance the sensing function of Eu-MOF for <b>2-AA</b> was discussed in detail, to give fundamentals for the rational design of MOF-based sensing materials.