A smartphone-integrated portable colorimetric sensing platform for ascorbic acid based on a PtAu@Rh nanozyme with...

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Nanozymes offer catalytic properties mimicking natural enzymes.
• Peroxidase-like activity is crucial for various sensing applications.
• Accurate ascorbic acid detection is vital for dietary monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a PtAu@Rh nanozyme with enhanced peroxidase-like activity.
• To establish a colorimetric sensing platform for ascorbic acid (AA) detection.
• To validate the method's reliability using smartphone assistance.

Main Methods:

• Template method for synthesizing PtAu@Rh nanozyme.
• Colorimetric assay utilizing the nanozyme's POD-like activity.
• UV-Vis spectrophotometry and smartphone-based detection.

Main Results:

• PtAu@Rh-2 nanozyme achieved a specific activity of 1789 U mg⁻¹.
• Smartphone-assisted method demonstrated a wide detection range (0.5-50 μM) and low LOD (0.138 μM).
• Spike recovery experiments showed high accuracy (95.34%-104.28%) and precision (RSD 0.29%-5.06%).

Conclusions:

• A high-efficiency PtAu@Rh nanozyme with significant POD-like activity was successfully synthesized.
• A convenient and reliable smartphone-assisted colorimetric method for AA detection was developed.
• This work contributes to nanozyme synthesis strategies and practical AA monitoring for dietary health.