An all-inorganic lead-free metal halide double perovskite for the highly selective detection of norfloxacin in aqueous solution.

ABSTRACT

Lead-based perovskites are highly susceptible to environmental influences, and their application in analytical chemistry, especially in aqueous solution, has been reported rarely. All-inorganic lead-free metal halide perovskites have been considered as a substitute for lead-based perovskites. Herein, a Cs2RbTbCl6 perovskite microcrystal (PMCs), which emits strong yellow-green fluorescence with a maximum emission wavelength at 547 nm, was for the first time  synthesized and characterized. The Cs2RbTbCl6 PMCs could be well dispersed in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMF), and its fluorescence could be significantly enhanced by the addition of norfloxacin (NOR) in the aqueous solution. We found that the Cs2RbTbCl6 PMCs can be used as fluorescent probes (excitation, 365 nm; emission, 547 nm) to selectively detect NOR in a concentration range from 10.0 to 200.0 µM with the limit of detection (LOD) being 0.04 µM. The Cs2RbTbCl6 PMCs could also be adsorbed on filter paper to fabricate as a fluorescent test paper for visual detection of NOR under 365-nm ultraviolet (UV) lamp irradiation. The proposed method has the potential to establish a new analytical method to visualize the detection of NOR in aqueous environments and also promotes the application of all-inorganic lead-free perovskites for analytical detection in aqueous environments.