A smartphone-assisted one-step bicolor colorimetric detection of glucose in neutral environment based on molecularly imprinted polymer nanozymes

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) 2024-01, Vol.267, p.125256-125256, Article 125256
• Main Authors: Li, Tianhao, Bu, Jiaqi, Yang, Yanjing, Zhong, Shian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: catalytic activity; color; colorimetry; detection limit; glucose; mobile telephones; molecular imprinting; Molecularly imprinted polymer; Nanozyme; Neutral environment; polymers; Smartphone; Visual detection
• ISSN: 0039-9140; 1873-3573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125256

In order to improve the specificity and the peroxidase-like activity of nanozyme at the neutral pH as well as to facilitate the naked-eye visual detection of the analyte concentration, a nanozyme based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPNs) for selective and bicolor colorimetric detection of glucose in neutral environment was developed. Compared with free nanozyme, the synthesized MIPNs showed a better catalytic capability, with a catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) 9.5 times higher than that of free nanozyme. The kinetics experiment showed that the MIPNs demonstrated a fast kinetic feature and the kinetic data fitted a pseudo-first-order model. In practical application, the color of the detection system changed gradually from pink to blue as the glucose concentration increased in a broad linear range from 0 to 3 mM, with a detection limit of 6.22 μM. The colorimetric visualization of glucose concentration was read with a smartphone and no other instrument was needed. Therefore, a manageable and highly efficient method for the MIPNs-catalyzed visualization at the neutral pH and the one-step bicolor visual detection was constructed. This newly established method may also provide a new idea for further development and application of nanozymes. [Display omitted] •Molecularly imprinted polymer can improve the catalytic activity of free nanozyme.•MIPNs for glucose detection was conducted under neutral condition with one-step.•A bicolor colorimetric visualization detection method based on MIPNs was constructed.•A smartphone-assisted detection platform was developed for ease of use.