Selective detection of an antibiotic using hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs): insights from DFT mechanistic analysis

-ENR conjugate upon ENR addition leads to the recovery of fluorescence intensity. The mechanism of competitive binding was validated by kinetic studies and computational studies based on density functional theory (DFT). The sensor demonstrated a linear response for ENR detection between 0.01 and 1.0 μM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 70 nM, and a wider non-linear detection range extending to 50 μM. Furthermore, successful recovery tests in spiked buffer, diluted human serum, commercial milk, and river water samples confirmed the robustness of the sensing platform in complex biological and environmental matrices. The high sensitivity with excellent selectivity towards the antibiotic in the presence of other interferences and the successful recovery in spiked sample analysis highlight the potential applications of this sensing platform.