Luminescence Turn-on of Lanthanide Coordination Polymers Triggered by Norfloxacin for Visual Detection and Anti-Counterfeiting

Norfloxacin (NOR) has raised growing concerns over food safety and environmental sustainability due to its persistence and bioaccumulation. The luminescence turn-on effect induced by NOR offers a promising approach for the development of advanced sensing platform and anticounterfeiting platform. In this work, two novel one-dimensional chain-like lanthanide coordination polymers, Tb-TCDA and Eu-TCDA, were successfully synthesized through a facile one-step hydrothermal approach. Interestingly, Tb-TCDA demonstrates a pronounced luminescence turn-on effect upon reaction with NOR, functioning as a highly selective and sensitive probe for NOR detection, with a detection limit as low as 0.03 μM and a rapid response time (<20 s). The sensing performance is maintained in complicated real-world matrices, including dairy products (milk, eggs), lake water, and tap water. Notably, portable test strips fabricated by immobilizing Tb-TCDA onto filter paper enable on-site visual identification of NOR contamination within minutes, demonstrating excellent practicality. In addition, the stimuli-responsive luminescence turn-on behavior of Tb-TCDA and Eu-TCDA supports their potential application in advanced anticounterfeiting technologies. This work provides a dual-functional platform that integrates luminescence sensing and security features, offering new opportunities for real-time antibiotic monitoring and anticounterfeiting systems.