Highly sensitive aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence sensor for cadmium detection in Ganoderma lucidum

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Cadmium (Cd) pollution is a significant threat to food safety and public health.
• Sensitive and reliable detection of cadmium ions (Cd²⁺) is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIECL) sensor for sensitive Cd²⁺ detection.
• To validate the sensor's performance in real-world food samples.

Main Methods:

• Design of an AIECL sensor using polymer dots (Pdots) linked with a Cd²⁺ aptamer and a Black Hole Quencher (BHQ).
• Utilizing the release of BHQ upon Cd²⁺ binding to recover the Pdots' electrochemiluminescence (ECL) signal.
• Quantitative analysis of Cd²⁺ in Ganoderma lucidum samples.

Main Results:

• The developed sensor demonstrated high sensitivity for Cd²⁺ detection with a low limit of detection (0.006 ppb).
• The sensor achieved a signal "off" state in the absence of Cd²⁺ and signal recovery in its presence.
• Results from Ganoderma lucidum analysis showed good agreement with the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) standard method.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a facile and reliable AIECL-based methodology for sensitive Cd²⁺ detection.
• The sensor shows significant potential for application in food safety and environmental monitoring of cadmium.