Rapid detection of lamotrigine by a water stable fluorescent lanthanide metal–organic framework sensor

Tb-MOF was synthesized by solvothermal method. The Tb-MOF shows good sensitivity and selectivity for lamotrigine (LTG), the present results may provide a facile route to design and synthesize fluorescent MOFs for the sensing of LTG. Lamotrigine (LTG) is an antiepileptic drug, but excessive use of LTG can cause life-threatening skin rashes. Herein, a new type of Tb-MOF with two emitting centers for LTG detection was designed and synthesized. The unique crystal structure is derived from a hexacarboxylic acid ligand and lanthanide Tb 3+ ion. The application of ratiometric fluorescence sensing improves the accuracy for detecting LTG. The Tb-MOF also displays excellent sensitivity with fast response within 40 s, low detection limit of 1.66 μM and high recyclability. This research provides important significance for using lanthanide metal–organic framework (Ln-MOF) as the platform for fluorescent sensing.