Confinement and heating promoted RTP of flumequine, oxolinic acid and levofloxacin on papers for their detection and discrimination.

Developing simple assays to identify and discriminate quinolones are highly desired for food safety, which remain a great challenge due to the interferences from food matrices and the minor variation on the molecular structure of massive quinolones. We proposed a room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) assay for the quantitative detection and discrimination of quinolones, aided by a confinement and heating strategy. Quinolones were loaded into the porous framework of paper, which provided confinement effects on the molecular motions of quinolones. The heating process further removed the solvents, eliminating their quenching effects on excitons. These synergistic effects improved the RTP intensity and emission lifetime by 1144-fold and from nanoseconds to seconds, respectively. Three types of quinolones were quantitatively detected and discriminated through pattern recognition methods. The proposed assay showed excellent detection performance in complicated meat samples, aided by the delayed signal collecting of RTP. The reported results provided a clue to modulate the RTP properties of organic molecules, showing great potential for application prospect in food safety analysis, environmental and healthy monitoring. • A room-temperature phosphorescence assay for detection and discrimination of quinolones was proposed. • The phosphorescence performances were promoted by a confinement and heating strategy. • The phosphorescence intensity and emission lifetime were promoted by 1144 folds and from nanoseconds to several seconds. • Quinolones and their mixtures were discriminated through pattern recognition methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]