Stimuli-Responsive Metal–Organic Framework on a Metal–Organic Framework Heterostructure for Efficient Antibiotic Detection and Anticounterfeiting

Stimuli-responsiveness is an important characteristic that show promising potential in various applications. Herein, a novel ZIF-8-on-Tb-dpn (H3dpn = 5-(2′,4′-dicarboxylphenyl)nicotic acid) heterostructure is constructed using a heteroepitaxial strategy combining the chemical-responsive (antibiotics) and light-responsive behaviors. The pyridine nitrogen of Tb-dpn acts as an anchor site for Zn2+, which helps to overcome the limit of lattice mismatch between two metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and promotes the growth of ZIF-8 nanocrystals. Based on the synergy effect of two MOFs, ZIF-8-on-Tb-dpn exhibits an efficient turn-off response toward tetracycline and chloramphenicol via competitive absorption, Förster resonance energy transfer, and photoinduced electron transfer processes with limit of detection values of 5.6 and 37.6 nM, respectively, which are three- to −fivefold lower than those of Tb-dpn. Moreover, the nanocage of ZIF-8 is utilized to encapsulate photochromic spiropyran (SP) molecules and realize the reversible conversion between SP and merocyanine (MC) under visible light and ultraviolet light. The MC form is accompanied with strong adsorption at 555 nm, which can erase the emission of Tb3+. Therefore, a reversible invisible anticounterfeiting pattern is designed with SP ⊂ ZIF-8-on-Tb-dpn for information anticounterfeiting. The excellent stimuli-responsive ability makes the luminescent platform a potential candidate in luminescence applications.