A critical review of sensors for detecting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: Focusing on diverse molecular probes

Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) pose a severe threat to the ecological environment and human health due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential toxicity in the environment. Currently, the detection methods of PFASs generally rely on the combination of chromatographic techniques and mass spectrometry, which are typically suitable for laboratory testing. To meet the requirements of on-site detection, there is an urgent need to develop convenient and efficient detection methods. Sensors, as the preferred alternative, have been widely studied. In order to deeply investigate the mechanism of sensors in recognizing PFASs, this review, from the unique perspective of molecular probes, summarizes the construction and recognition mechanisms of four molecular probes: antibodies, aptamers, synthesized micromolecules, and synthesized polymers for PFASs. This review focuses on PFOA and PFOS as representative perfluoroalkyl substances and systematically investigates their properties and effects. It also analyzes the respective advantages, disadvantages, and applicable scenarios, and discusses the future development trends.