A smartphone-integrated colorimetric platform with AI assistance for sensitive rutin detection based on spherical...

Artificial nanozymes integrate low cost and high sensitivity, and their rational design has become a research hotspot and core focus in the field. In this work, a novel high-sensitivity colorimetric detection platform was developed using MXene quantum dots (MQDs)-modified spherical Cu₂O nanozymes (Cu₂O/MQDs) for rutin detection. Combined experimental characterization and theoretical simulation were performed to study the catalytic mechanism of Cu₂O/MQDs. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations theoretically revealed that the Cu-Ti bimetallic interfacial active sites endow the composite material with enhanced catalytic activity by accelerating the activation of H₂O₂ and the formation of hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Under optimized experimental conditions, the colorimetric sensing platform constructed with Cu₂O/MQDs exhibited a linear detection range of 0-150 μM, with a calculated limit of detection (LOD) of 0.214 μM. Moreover, based on this detection mechanism, an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted smartphone detection platform was developed to achieve more convenient, efficient, sensitive and reliable rutin detection, with an LOD of 0.054 μM. Based on the findings of this study, successful quantitative detection of rutin in environmental and pharmaceutical samples was achieved.