Hybrid Copper Iodide Cluster-Based Pellet Sensor for Highly Selective Optical Detection of O-nitrophenol and Tetracycline Hydrochloride in Aqueous Solution

O-nitrophenol (o-NP) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) residues in various aquatic environments are two environmental contaminations, which are seriously dangerous to both social safety and environment. Detection of such species respectively in water system with one optical sensor is coveted for outdoor operation, but has not been reported. Herein, we report the function synergistic strategy for the construction of stable and luminescent hybrid copper(I) iodine cluster-based sensor [Cu4I4(ETBT)4] (UJN-Cu2, ETBT = 2-ethylbenzo[d]thiazole). A custom-designed detecting cell for solid sensor is used to detect the two types of contaminations. The pressed pellet of UJN-Cu2 is capable of photoluminescence distinguishing o-NP from its two isomers p-NP and m-NP, as well as TCH from commonly used antibiotics in aqueous solution. Importantly, UJN-Cu2 represents the first bifunctional luminescence sensor for highly selective and sensitive detection of o-NP and TCH with limit of detection (LOD) of 2.30 and 4.15 M ...