A zinc-based metal-organic framework with a triazine moiety: effective detection of antibiotics and photodegradation dyes in aqueous solution

A zinc-based metal-organic framework was constructed by a solvothermal synthesis approach with the formula {[Zn-3(ttta)(2)(H2O)(4)]}(n) (1-Zn) (where H(3)ttta = 4,4 ',4 ''-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triazinediyl) triazinic acid) and was successfully characterized. In terms of photocatalytic degradation, complex 1-Zn has a smaller energy band gap and higher degradation efficiency compared to many other Zn-MOFs, and it has good stability and recyclability. Fluorescence detection experiments showed that complex 1-Zn showed significant specificity in recognition of quinolone antibiotics compared to other antibiotics and showed a better fluorescence quenching rate of metronidazole (MDZ) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). The photodegradation mechanism was investigated by ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) and valence band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (VB-XPS). A reasonable mechanism of the fluorescent probe and photodegradation of 1-Zn was determined by density functional theory calculations.