High-performance composite adsorbent for the identification and enrichment of fenthion and its main metabolites

Fenthion (FEN) and its main metabolites (FEN-sulfoxide and FEN-sulfone, hereinafter collectively referred to as FENs) pose serious threats to the environment and human health. To achieve selective enrichment and detection of FENs in complex matrices, we developed a high-performance composite adsorbent (ZASM) by integrating aptamer-surface molecularly imprinted polymers (Apt-SMIPs) onto ZIF-8-NH₂ carriers with high surface area and porosity. ZIF-8 facilitated uniform distribution of imprinted cavities and rapid mass transfer, while Apt enhanced the specificity of recognition sites, and SMIPs protected the aptamers from interference. The resulting synergy established a complementary dual-recognition mechanism. ZASM exhibited high adsorption capacities (28.35-32.04 mg/g), excellent structural stability, and reusability. Importantly, it efficiently enriched and detected both FEN and its main metabolites, enabling more accurate residue evaluation. This study provides a novel strategy for designing composite adsorbents with high selectivity and multifunctional recognition capabilities.