Multifunctional Ni-NPC Single-Atom Nanozyme for Removal and Smartphone-Assisted Visualization Monitoring of Carbamate Pesticides.

A multifunctional single-atom nanozyme, denoted as 3D Ni,N-codoped porous carbon (Ni-NPC), was devised that exhibits remarkable adsorption capabilities and a repertoire of enzyme mimetic functions (oxidase- and peroxidase-like). These attributes stem from the distinctive mesoporous thin-shell structure and well-dispersed Ni sites. The efficient adsorption capacity of Ni-NPC was assessed with respect to three carbamate pesticides (CMPs): metolcarb, carbaryl, and isoprocarb. Moreover, a colorimetric detection method for CMP was established based on its robust peroxidase-like catalytic activity and sequential catalytic interactions with acetylcholinesterase. Furthermore, a portable colorimetric sensor based on a hydrogel sphere integrated with a smartphone platform was devised. This sensor enables rapid, on-site, and quantitative assessment of CMP, boasting an extraordinarily low detection limit of 1.5 ng mL-1. Notably, this sensor was successfully applied to the analysis of CMP levels in lake water and vegetable samples (pakchoi and rape), propelling the progress of real-time detection technologies in food and environment monitoring.

Portable Hydrogel Kits Made with Bimetallic Nanozymes for Point-of-Care Testing of Perfluorooctanesulfonate.

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), an emerging organic contaminant, necessitates robust on-site detection strategies to safeguard human health and ecological balance. This study introduces a novel point-of-care testing (POCT) platform, combining a hydrogel kit with nanozymes and smartphone technology, for the highly sensitive detection of PFOS. The strategy utilizes copper-substituted cobalt-based Prussian blue analogue nanoboxes (CuCo-PBA NBs), which exhibit intricate hollow structures and remarkable peroxidase-like catalytic activity, efficiently catalyzing the oxidation of chromogenic substrates with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Density functional theory calculations elucidate the adsorption dynamics of H2O2 on CuCo-PBA NBs, identifying the factors that improve the catalytic efficiency. The colorimetric POCT platform, integrating the hydrogel kit with a smartphone interface, demonstrates practical utility and achieves a detection limit of 1.43 × 10-8 mol L-1 for PFOS. This research not only presents a new nanozyme design for PFOS detection in diverse matrices, such as lake water, whole blood, urine, and milk, but also paves the way for developing a portable and efficient POCT platform for a variety of emerging contaminants.

Luminescent Guests Encapsulated in Metal-Organic Frameworks for Portable Fluorescence Sensor and Visual Detection Applications: A Review.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have excellent applicability in several fields and have significant structural advantages, due to their open pore structure, high porosity, large specific surface area, and easily modifiable and functionalized porous surface. In addition, a variety of luminescent guest (LG) species can be encapsulated in the pores of MOFs, giving MOFs a broader luminescent capability. The applications of a variety of LG@MOF sensors, constructed by doping MOFs with LGs such as lanthanide ions, carbon quantum dots, luminescent complexes, organic dyes, and metal nanoclusters, for fluorescence detection of various target analyses such as ions, biomarkers, pesticides, and preservatives are systematically introduced in this review. The development of these sensors for portable visual fluorescence sensing applications is then covered. Finally, the challenges that these sectors currently face, as well as the potential for future growth, are briefly discussed.