The development of a new optical sensor based on the Mn doped ZnS quantum dots modified with the molecularly imprinted polymers for sensitive recognition of florfenicol

•A fluorescence optosensor was developed by anchoring the MIP layer on the surface of Mn:ZnS QDs.•Florfenicol (FF) can greatly enhance the fluorescence signal of Mn:ZnS QDs@MIP.•The new MIP-based fluorescence sensor was applied to detect trace FF in meat samples.

The Mn doped ZnS quantum dots (Mn:ZnS QDs) capped with the florfenicol molecularly imprinted polymer (Mn:ZnS QDs@MIP) were prepared via the sol–gel surface imprinting approach using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as the functional monomer and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as the cross-linker for the optosensing of the florfenicol. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometer, IR spectroscopy, UV–Vis absorption spectrophotometry, and spectrofluorometry were used to elucidate the formation, morphology, and identification of the products. To illustrate the usefulness of the new imprinted material, the non-imprinted coated Mn:ZnS QDs (Mn:ZnS QDs@NIP) were synthesized without the presence of the florfenicol. It was revealed that the fluorescence (FL) intensity of the Mn:ZnS QDs@MIP increased with increasing the FF concentration. Under the optimal conditions, changes in the FL intensity in the presence of the target molecule showed a linear response in the concentration range of 30–700 μmol L− 1 with a detection limit of 24 μmol L− 1. The developed method was finally applied successfully to the determination of FF in different meat samples with satisfactory recoveries.

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