Highly sensitive detection of diethylstilbestrol based on a dual-mode membrane sensor of molecular imprinted...

Environmental endocrine disruptors like diethylstilbestrol (DES), prevalent in livestock and the environment, pose significant ecological and health risks through biomagnification. In the study, a visual and rapid detection method for diethylstilbestrol in milk was achieved by constructing a molecularly imprinted nanozyme-loaded PVDF membrane sensor integrated with smartphone analysis. The sensor was fabricated through in situ growth of ZIF-8 on a PVDF membrane, followed by loading of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and formation of a molecularly imprinted polymer layer via dopamine self-polymerization. The catalytic activity of CuNPs oxidizes OPD to generate the chromogenic/fluorogenic product DAP, whose absorbance and fluorescence intensity decrease with increasing DES concentration. The colorimetric mode demonstrated a linear range of 0.5-200 μM with a LOD of 0.38 μM. Spiked recoveries ranged from 94.3 % to 108.4 %, showing good agreement with validation results obtained by HPLC.