Microchimica ActaPub Date : 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1007/s00604-025-07182-1
Yan Tang, Hongmei Ma, Hao Shen
{"title":"Self-cascade and self-activated nanozyme based on Au quantum dot modified covalent organic framework for rapid and sensitive detection of live bacteria","authors":"Yan Tang, Hongmei Ma, Hao Shen","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07182-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07182-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Multi-enzymes-guided cascade biocatalysis plays an important role in both nature and industry. Nevertheless, the inherent defects of natural enzymes (e.g., unattractive robustness, sensitivity, and reproducibility under severe catalytic environments) have limited their wider employment. Here, a self-cascade nanozyme was synthesized via depositing Au quantum dots (Au QDs) on iron ions and cysteine-doped porphyrin covalent organic framework (Fe@cpCOF). The in situ introduction of cysteine created a beneficial microenvironment around the iron-porphyrin catalytic center, facilitating the activity of the nanozyme. Through the regulation of Au QDs deposition amount on the surface of Fe@cpCOF, the synthetic nanozyme not only possessed robust glucose oxidase (GOx) mimicking activity but also demonstrated promoted peroxidase (POD) mimicking activity. In the self-cascade system, the innocuous glucose could be constantly transformed to sufficient gluconic acid and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> by Au QDs, preventing the direct application of noxious H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and reducing the detrimental by-effects. In addition, the product gluconic acid decreases the pH of the microenvironment, significantly activating the POD-like bioactivity of Fe@cpCOF. The obtained Au-Fe@cpCOF nanozyme was utilized to simulate the multi-step biocatalytic process in nature, thus constructing an enzyme-free self-cascade biocatalytic sensing platform for specific and wide-spectrum analysis of live bacteria. This study provides a facile assay for pathogen detection in both clinical and daily life.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144084894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microchimica ActaPub Date : 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1007/s00604-025-07206-w
Xiaohui Niu, Zhe Wang, Xing Yang, Hongxia Li, Kunjie Wang
{"title":"Chitosan-wrapped MOF-808 surface for amplifying electrochemical chiral recognition signal","authors":"Xiaohui Niu, Zhe Wang, Xing Yang, Hongxia Li, Kunjie Wang","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07206-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07206-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have unique structural and physicochemical properties and show broad application potential in the field of electrocatalysis. However, the organic building blocks of traditional MOFs usually come from non-renewable raw materials, and their inherent toxicity and non-biodegradability limit their application in the field of biocatalysis. By doping with natural polysaccharides, this new type of MOFs not only endows the material with biocompatibility and flexibility, but also provides a new dimension for regulating its catalytic performance. In this work, chitosan is combined with the synthesized MOF-808 through hydrogen bonding, so that chitosan is gradually coated on the surface of MOF-808 or fills part of its pores to form a composite material (MOF-808@CS). This composite structure is constantly adjusted and improved, making the interaction between chitosan and MOF-808 more uniform and stable and ultimately forming a relatively stable MOF-808@CS composite material. The enantioselective detection of tryptophan enantiomers by MOF-808@CS was demonstrated by electrochemical testing. The MOF-808@CS material can be used for enantiomer recognition. It is worth noting that this new type of polysaccharide-functionalized MOFs has important application potential in the field of asymmetric catalysis and provides a new research direction for green catalysis and biocatalysis.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144084893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microchimica ActaPub Date : 2025-05-17DOI: 10.1007/s00604-025-07197-8
Daniela A. Oliveira, Cicero C. Pola, Zachary T. Johnson, Jingzhe Li, Emily A. Smith, Eric S. McLamore, Diana C. Vanegas, Jonathan C. Claussen, Carmen L. Gomes
{"title":"Laser-induced graphene with nickel oxide nanoparticles electrochemical immunosensor for rapid and label-free detection of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium","authors":"Daniela A. Oliveira, Cicero C. Pola, Zachary T. Johnson, Jingzhe Li, Emily A. Smith, Eric S. McLamore, Diana C. Vanegas, Jonathan C. Claussen, Carmen L. Gomes","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07197-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07197-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cost-effectiveness, high-throughput capability, and scalable manufacturing are key features required for the fabrication of in-field electrochemical sensors applicable to food safety analysis. In this work, a two-step method is described to create laser-induced graphene electrodes decorated with nickel oxide nanoparticles (LIG-NiO). Fabrication of the LIG-NiO electrodes is performed via direct writing under ambient conditions using a polyimide sheet and nickel acetate solution as substrates, which is then converted into a label-free immunosensor for the detection of <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar Typhimurium by functionalizing the working surface with an anti-<i>Salmonella</i> antibody. The resulting electrochemical immunosensor exhibits a sensitivity of 3.93 ± 0.25 Ω (log (CFU mL<sup>−1</sup>)<sup>−1</sup>), a limit of detection (LOD) of 8 ± 3 CFU mL<sup>−1</sup> and rapid response time (17 min) with a wide <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium linear sensing range, from 10<sup>1</sup> to 10<sup>6</sup> CFU mL<sup>−1</sup> in buffer, covering relevant levels for food safety analysis without being affected by the presence of interferent bacteria <i>Escherichia coli</i> spp. Additionally, this LIG-NiO-based immunosensor presented a sensitivity of 1.92 ± 0.71 Ω (log (CFU mL<sup>−1</sup>)<sup>−1</sup>) when tested in chicken broth. The immunosensor developed in this study provides a simple fabrication method followed by functionalization and rapid <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium sensing that does not require sample pretreatment such as pre-enrichment or addition of external reagents, constituting a promising new sensing platform for pathogen detection in food safety monitoring and in general to other electrochemical immunosensing applications.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microchimica ActaPub Date : 2025-05-17DOI: 10.1007/s00604-025-07222-w
Yang-Yi Yin, Wen-Jie Chen, Shao-Lian Chen, Li Deng, Liu-Pan Yang, Li-Li Wang, Huan Yao
{"title":"Highly pre-organized fluorescent naphthotube for efficient detection of uranyl ions","authors":"Yang-Yi Yin, Wen-Jie Chen, Shao-Lian Chen, Li Deng, Liu-Pan Yang, Li-Li Wang, Huan Yao","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07222-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07222-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Supramolecular fluorescent sensors have garnered extensive research attention and found broad applications in biochemical sensing attributed to their high selectivity, rapid response, stimulus responsiveness, and ease of modification, which stem from their inherent molecular recognition and self-assembly capabilities. Herein, supramolecular fluorescent sensors based on anthracene-functionalized naphthotubes have been successfully developed and utilized for the efficient detection of uranyl ions. Owing to the highly pre-organized carboxyl groups on the naphthotubes, uranyl ions are effectively captured, forming a non-fluorescent or weakly fluorescent complex to quench the fluorescence of anthracene. The fluorescent sensor exhibited a limit of detection as low as 53 nM, coupled with high sensitivity, rapid response time, and high selectivity. Moreover, it maintained robust detection capabilities in diverse aqueous environments such as seawater, river water, and tap water, demonstrating its promising potential for uranyl ions detection. This study provides a new idea for the development of detection methods for uranyl ions in complex environmental samples.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00604-025-07222-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electroactive Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3@Au nanocomposites driven label-free electrochemical aptasensor with magnetic self-assembly for rapid quantification of alpha-fetoprotein","authors":"Zhihao Xu, Hezhong Ouyang, Sihan Zhao, Xinyu Wang, Xiangdong Huo, Dawei He, Ruijiang Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07173-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07173-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a crucial biomarker for several cancers’ diagnosis, especially hepatocellular carcinoma; therefore, early accurate detection of AFP is of vital significance. Herein, a label-free electrochemical aptasensor with magnetic self-assembly of heterogeneous Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/α-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanosheets is presented for rapid and accurate detection of AFP. The sensor was mainly designed by loading Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the surface of Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/α-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanosheets and further binding with aptamer probes through Au–S bonds, and the target could be captured by the high affinity and specificity with the aptamer. Furthermore, owing to the excellent superparamagnetization of Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/α-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>@Au nanocomposites, rapid magnetic separation and magnetic self-assembly could be realized, actualizing quantitative determination of AFP through current changes. Under optimal conditions, the aptasensor exhibited excellent quantitative determination performance in the 10 pg/mL to 1 μg/mL range, and the detection limit was 1.31 pg/mL. In addition, the aptasensor demonstrated favorable reproducibility, stability, selectivity, and achieved satisfactory recovery (97.34–104.60%) in human serum samples, providing a practical strategy for clinical detection of AFP.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microchimica ActaPub Date : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1007/s00604-025-07211-z
Hui Zhang, Yahui Ji, Nana You, Xiaoping Hu, Feifei Chen, Fei Wang, Gen Liu
{"title":"A ratiometric electrochemiluminescent strategy for sensitive detection of dopamine based on g-C3N4/luminol-functioned carbon spheres","authors":"Hui Zhang, Yahui Ji, Nana You, Xiaoping Hu, Feifei Chen, Fei Wang, Gen Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07211-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07211-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ratiometric electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assays have attracted widespread attention in biosensing owing to their precise measurements by eliminating environmental interferences. In this work, g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, gold nanoparticles, CuO and luminol were integrated onto hollow carbon spheres (HCS) in sequence to fabricate potential-resolved ECL nanoprobes. The system consists of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> as cathode ECL emitters and luminol as anode ECL emitters. The ECL of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> is quenched by CuO due to the resonance energy transfer (RET). However, after adding dopamine (DA), the ECL signal is restored due to the redox reaction between CuO and DA. Meanwhile, there is a quenching effect between DA and luminol because DA interferes with the radical reaction process of luminol. Therefore, DA causes the reciprocal changes in cathodic ECL and anodic ECL. This phenomenon can be leveraged to create a ratiometric ECL signal, enabling the quantitative detection of DA. The developed ECL sensor exhibited a sensitive detection toward DA, performing a wide linearity in the range 5.0 × 10<sup>–4</sup> ~ 1.0 × 10<sup>–9</sup> M with a low detection limit of 2.3 × 10<sup>–11</sup> M (S/N = 3). Furthermore, this strategy exhibited a good practicality to detect DA in human urine, providing a promising strategy in ECL bioanalysis.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microchimica ActaPub Date : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1007/s00604-025-07227-5
Ming Wei, Zhichao Ma, Xichen Sun, Yiran Wang, Xuelin Zong, Wenting Tong, Wenbo Lu
{"title":"Cobalt single-atom catalyst for hydrogen peroxide electrochemical detection in waterlogged foods and living cancer cells","authors":"Ming Wei, Zhichao Ma, Xichen Sun, Yiran Wang, Xuelin Zong, Wenting Tong, Wenbo Lu","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07227-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07227-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The quantitative detection of hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) in waterlogged foods and living cancer cells is important for food safety and clinical detection. In this study, single-atom cobalt catalysts in polymeric carbon nitride (Co SACs-CN) were synthesized by grinding and pyrolysis. This catalyst was subsequently used to modify a pencil graphite electrode (PGE) for electrochemical detection of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. The electrostatic potential of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> was analyzed using Gaussian and Multiwfn software. The linear range of the prepared electrochemical sensor was 1 − 8000 μM, and the detection limit was 0.31 μM. After 30 days, the current retention rate was 93.4%, which can be used for the electrochemical determination of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> in waterlogged foods. Moreover, the sensor was capable of real-time monitoring of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> release from A549 lung cancer cells. The successful development of this sensor has broadened the application of cobalt-based single-atom nanomaterials in the design of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> sensors and offers a novel alternative for the electrochemical detection of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144073960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Construction of MGO@ZIF-8@MIPs as peroxidase-like nanozyme for the targeted colorimetric detection of perfluorooctanoic acid in water and milk","authors":"Yahan Cui, Niao Zhao, Yongyan Chen, Shenghui Wang, Hongyuan Yan, Dandan Han","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07185-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07185-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) poses a threat to the environment and human health due to its persistence, bioaccumulation, and reproductive toxicity. Developing and fabricating straightforward and selective sensors for the immediate identification of PFOA is substantial and demanding. In this paper, the advancement in the creation of molecularly imprinted sensors (MGO@ZIF-8@MIPs) utilizing magnetic graphene oxide (MGO) modified with metal-organic frameworks as substrates and catalytic agents is described. They were fabricated through surface imprinting technology for the quick identification and quantification of PFOA. MGO@ZIF-8@MIPs displayed peroxidase-like activity, facilitating the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to produce a blue-colored oxidized TMB in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>). The strong binding capacity of the imprinted layer for PFOA reduced the peroxidase-like activity of MGO@ZIF-8@MIPs in the presence of PFOA, leading to a notable reduction in the intensity of the blue color. The absorbance at 650 nm progressively declined as the PFOA concentration increased. On the basis of this, a colorimetric method based on MGO@ZIF-8@MIPs for the swift identification of PFOA in environmental water and milk samples was developed. This sensing platform demonstrated exceptional sensitivity and superior selectivity for the detection of PFOA, featuring a low detection limit of 0.12 μM. These results highlight the remarkable potential of MGO@ZIF-8@MIPs for applications in environmental and food sensing. </p>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143949652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microchimica ActaPub Date : 2025-05-14DOI: 10.1007/s00604-025-07226-6
Rupashree Jena, Prasenjit Dhar, Abinash Panda, Feng Wu, Malek.G. Daher
{"title":"An investigation on hybrid AlN-graphene surface plasmon resonance sensor for refractive index-based pathogen detection","authors":"Rupashree Jena, Prasenjit Dhar, Abinash Panda, Feng Wu, Malek.G. Daher","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07226-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07226-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The effective detection and monitoring of various pathogens remain critical for controlling outbreaks and ensuring timely medical intervention. To address this issue, the current work proposes a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on Kretchman configuration for precise detection of change in refractive index of pathogens related to dengue diseases by studying the different blood components like plasma, platelet, and hemoglobin. The sensor is envisaged by stacking layers of <span>({text{TiO}}_{2})</span>, Ag, AlN, graphene, and sensing medium on a BK7 prism substrate. The structure is designed and modeled in COMSOL Multiphysics to clearly demonstrate the excitation of plasmonic wave close to the metal surface. The thicknesses of all the constituent layers have been meticulously optimized by studying the change in characteristics of the angular reflectance. Notably, the penetration of evanescent field into the sensing medium enhances the light-analyte interaction, which leads to high sensitivity. Moreover, a detailed electric field analysis is carried out at the interface of each layer. The simulation upshots revealed that the proposed sensor can detect infected plasma, platelet, and hemoglobin with a sensitivity of 138.46 deg./RIU, 163.63 deg./RIU, and 182.85 deg./RIU, respectively. This approach offers significant advantages, including rapid detection of pathogens, high sensitivity, and the ability to integrate with portable diagnostic devices, making it a promising tool in the biomedical industry. </p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143949691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Highly sensitive photothermal paper-based analytical devices for monitoring of melamine levels in milk samples","authors":"Kawin Khachornsakkul, Elliot Friesen, Tapparath Leelasattarathkul","doi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07209-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00604-025-07209-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents the first demonstration of a photothermal-based paper analytical device (PT-PAD) for melamine monitoring in milk samples. The sensor utilizes plasmonic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as effective photothermal materials to enable melamine detection. In our technique, melamine induces the aggregation of AuNPs on the paper substrate, resulting in a temperature change proportional to melamine levels. This temperature variation can be measured using a portable and inexpensive thermometer, enhancing affordability. The sensor provides a linear range between 125.0 and 1500.0 ng mL<sup>−1</sup> with a <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> value of 0.9965 and a detection limit of 27.0 pg mL<sup>−1</sup>. It demonstrates excellent selectivity with no observed interference, and achieves high accuracy and precision in real milk samples, with recoveries between 97.3 and 108.5% and a maximum RSD of 7.5%. The results are statistically comparable to HPLC, confirming the method’s reliability. Furthermore, while the assay requires only low-cost commercial tools such as a laser pointer and a thermometer, its detection efficiency is significantly higher than other previous PAD methods for melamine detection. Overall, our developed PT-PAD sensor is well-suited for monitoring melamine levels in milk samples, offering advantages such as affordability, sensitivity, and ease of use. The approach also presents a promising platform for future expansion into other analytes by integrating plasmonic nanomaterials with microfluidic technologies, broadening its application across food safety and environmental monitoring.</p><h3>Graphic Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":705,"journal":{"name":"Microchimica Acta","volume":"192 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143949692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}