Surface-imprinted fluorescence microspheres as ultrasensitive sensor for rapid and effective detection of tetracycline in real biological samples

Molecularly imprinted fluorescence sensors have shown great promise in environmental or biological monitoring and due to its high stability, selectivity and sensitivity. In this study, a fluorescence surface-imprinted sensor (SiO2-AF@MIPs) towards tetracycline (TC) was successfully prepared to address the shortcomings in current molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor, such as slow response, limited detection and deteriorated performance in real complex samples. Benefited from the thin surface-imprinting layer, the SiO2-AF@MIPs sensors showed higher sensitivity (LOD low to 4.26 nM), rapid detection rate, reusable performance and excellent selectivity over several target competitors. Furthermore, the fluorescence sensor could efficiently detect TC in real biological samples, including tetracycline hydrochloride injection, human serum and swine urine. These results clearly demonstrated the potential value of this smart sensor nanomaterial in environmental monitoring and biological diagnosis.