Concentration Energy Ion Channels with Molecular-Structure Dual Recognition for Sustainable Environmental Monitoring

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Pesticide residues persist in food and ecosystems, posing risks via bioaccumulation.
• Sensitive and selective detection methods are crucial for monitoring pesticide contamination.
• Existing nanopore sensors lack the required specificity for complex residue analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive and selective nanochannel sensor for pesticide residue detection.
• To utilize molecular imprinting technology (MIT) for dual recognition of ionic charge and molecular conformation.
• To establish a versatile nanochannel construction method for advanced environmental sensing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of nanochannels with imprinting sites tailored to specific pesticide molecules.
• Implementation of dual recognition mechanisms: ionic charge and molecular conformation.
• Utilizing Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to understand imprinting interactions.
• Testing the sensor's performance for the detection of 10 different pesticide molecules.

Main Results:

• Achieved detection limits (LODs) for pesticides ranging from 12.9 to 26.9 pM.
• Demonstrated a two-orders-of-magnitude improvement in sensitivity compared to fluorescence-based methods.
• Confirmed hydrogen bonding as the primary interaction in the molecular imprinting process.
• Successfully detected 10 distinct pesticide molecules with high selectivity.

Conclusions:

• The developed MIT-based nanochannel sensor offers superior sensitivity and selectivity for pesticide detection.
• The dual recognition capability significantly enhances the ability to identify molecular configurations.
• This novel sensing approach advances nanochannel technology and supports environmental safety and sustainable development.