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A portable digital optical kanamycin sensor developed by surface-anchored liquid crystal droplets
Fangchao Yin1, Supan Cheng1, Shuya Liu2
1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250014, PR China; Key Laboratory for Applied Technology of Sophisticated Analytical Instrument of Shandong Province, Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Science), Jinan 250014, PR China.
We developed a novel liquid crystal (LC) sensor for rapid, label-free kanamycin detection. This simple, low-cost method uses surface-anchored LC droplets to detect kanamycin in milk and honey.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Biosensing
Background:
- Growing demand for simple, rapid, and cost-effective methods for antibiotic detection.
- Need for label-free detection strategies to streamline antibiotic residue analysis.
- Limitations of existing methods in terms of speed, cost, and complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel sensing principle for kanamycin detection using surface-anchored liquid crystal (LC) droplets.
- To develop a portable, label-free sensor system for rapid antibiotic quantification.
- To demonstrate the applicability of the developed sensor in real-world samples.
Main Methods:
- Utilized surface-anchored liquid crystal (LC) droplets as the sensing element.
- Employed a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and a kanamycin aptamer for specific detection.
- Developed a portable optical device to measure changes in the luminance of LC droplets.
- Investigated the optical response of LC droplets to varying concentrations of CTAB and CTAB/aptamer complex.
Main Results:
- The optical appearance of LC droplets changed predictably with surfactant concentration.
- Specific binding of kanamycin to the aptamer released CTAB, inducing a distinct change in LC droplet appearance (uniformly dark).
- The sensor achieved a low detection limit for kanamycin below 0.1 ng/mL (~0.17 nM).
- Successful detection of kanamycin was demonstrated in complex matrices like milk and honey.
Conclusions:
- Surface-anchored LC droplets offer a promising platform for label-free kanamycin detection.
- The developed portable optical device enables rapid and sensitive antibiotic quantification.
- This approach holds significant potential for developing new, cost-effective LC-based biosensors for food safety and environmental monitoring.
