Design and investigation of a new two-dimensional cobalt metal–organic framework for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of the nitrofurazone drug in food and biological samples†

Antibiotic pollution poses a significant threat to global health and ecosystems. It is highly demanding to detect the trace amounts of antibiotics in food and biological samples. Thus, there is a critical need for rapid and sensitive sensors with real-time monitoring capabilities to address this challenge. In this regard, porous materials such as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with unique and tailorable properties can serve as highly sensitive sensors for the detection of targeted analytes. Here, a new two-dimensional cobalt MOF (2D-Co MOF) has been designed and studied for the detection of nitrofurazone (NFZ), a nitrofuran class antibiotic. The 2D-Co MOF sensor demonstrates exceptional sensitivity in detecting NFZ, achieving a remarkably low detection limit of 0.04 μM. The MOF system also displayed excellent selectivity towards NFZ in the presence of potential interferants, thus acting as a potent sensor for the detection of NFZ. Additionally, the sensor exhibits excellent reliability and stability. To further demonstrate the practical applicability, the MOF sensor has been explored for the detection of NFZ drug residues in food and biological samples.