Simple distance-based thread analytical device integrated with ion imprinted polymer for Zn²⁺ quantification in human...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate quantification of zinc ions (Zn²⁺) is crucial for human health monitoring and environmental assessment.
• Existing methods for Zn²⁺ detection can be complex, expensive, and require specialized laboratory equipment.
• Development of portable, cost-effective, and sensitive analytical devices is needed for point-of-care (POC) applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel distance-based thread analytical device (dTAD) integrated with an ion-imprinted polymer (IIP).
• To enable quantitative monitoring of zinc ions (Zn²⁺) in human urine samples.
• To provide a simple, rapid, and cost-efficient method for trace Zn²⁺ detection.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an IIP on a thread channel using dithizone (DTZ) as a ligand, methacrylic acid (MAA) as a functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a cross-linker.
• Characterization of the IIP using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).
• Optimization and validation of the dTAD-IIP system for Zn²⁺ detection in human urine and zinc supplement samples.

Main Results:

• The developed dTAD-IIP demonstrated a linear detection range of 1.0 to 20.0 mg L^-1 with a high coefficient of determination (R² = 0.9992) and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.0 mg L^-1.
• The method exhibited high selectivity, with no interference from other metal ions or molecules, and achieved excellent recovery rates (100.48%–103.16%) in human urine samples.
• Results showed no significant statistical difference compared to standard methods and zinc supplement labels, indicating high accuracy and precision.

Conclusions:

• The dTAD-based IIP offers a sensitive, selective, and accurate platform for quantitative Zn²⁺ monitoring in human urine.
• The device's ease of use, instrument-free readout, and cost-efficiency make it suitable for POC medical diagnostics and environmental analysis.
• The developed methodology holds potential for the simple, affordable, and rapid detection of Zn²⁺ and can be extended to analyze other metal ions.