Synergistic CNTs@SnO₂-MWW nanocomposite enables a high-performance miniaturized sensor for rapid detection of...

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a bioactive polyphenol found in tea and fruit, which exhibits anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer properties that hold significant potential in food and health applications. However, traditional sensing materials suffer from drawbacks such as slow surface kinetics and poor selectivity in complex matrices, making the development of highly functional sensing materials challenging. To address this issue, this study synthesizes a layered nano MWW zeolite (MWW framework topology) with high specific surface area and diffusion properties. Via an in-situ growth strategy, tin dioxide (SnO₂) is integrated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to fabricate a synergistic CNTs@SnO₂-MWW nanocomposite, and an electrode (CNTs/SnO₂/MWW/Chitosan (CS)/Screen-Printed Electrode (SPE)) is fabricated for CGA detection. This novel sensor exhibits a low limit of detection (LOD = 0.02 μM) and a wide linear dynamic range spanning (0.05-1500 μM). Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to elucidate the adsorption thermodynamics and interfacial charge transfer behaviors of the nanocomposite. By integrating the electrode with a micro circuit, a miniaturized sensing system is further developed, and its results are consistent with those of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) data (relative deviation <3%). This research provides a reliable platform for CGA analysis, advancing its applications in food quality control and health management.