In this work, a fluorescent sensor based on a zirconium-based metal organic framework was prepared for the detection of tetracyclines (TCs) in milk. The UiO-66-NH2 fluorescent sensor was synthesized by a simple microwave-assisted method with 2-aminoterephthalic acid and zirconium chloride as precursors. In the presence of target TCs, the synergistic effect of the inner filter effect (IFE) and photo-induced electron transfer (PET) was responsible for the fluorescence quenching of UiO-66-NH2, and the fluorescence sensor showed a rapid fluorescence quenching response (5 min) to target TCs. The proposed UiO-66-NH2 sensor had good sensitivity and selectivity, and under the optimal conditions possessed detection limits of 0.449, 0.431, and 0.163 μM for tetracycline (TET), oxytetracycline (OTC), and doxycycline (DOX), respectively. Besides, the UiO-66-NH2 sensor was successfully applied to the quantitative detection of TCs in milk samples with reasonable recoveries of 93.26-115.17%, and the detection results achieved from the as-fabricated fluorescence sensing assay were consistent with those of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), indicating the potential applicability of the UiO-66-NH2 sensor for detecting TCs in actual food samples.
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