Hybrid Nanostructure-Functionalized Nano-doped Optical Fiber Probe for Rapid and Sensitive Triclocarban Monitoring

Triclocarban (TCC) serves as a highly effective antimicrobial agent with a broad range of applications, often found in daily chemical cleaning and disinfection products. Its accumulation in organisms poses ecological risks and potential health hazards. Therefore, it is essential to detect TCC quickly and with high sensitivity. A multi-taper optical fiber biosensor (OFB) based on local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) was developed for the immediate and label-free identification of TCC in everyday chemical products. The sensor utilizes multi-mode fiber (MMF) along with a specialized type of nano-doped fiber (NDF). Nano-doped optical fibers feature intensified evanescent field and high sensing sensitivity with favorable environmental stability. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were fixed to the taper section of the sensing fiber probe for generating LSPR. Potassium manganate nanoflowers (KMO-NFs) and nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO-NPs) were also utilized to alter the fiber probe's surface, enhancing the sensor's specific surface area and accelerating its electronic response, thereby improving its performance. The sensing surface was coated with a TCC antibody in this work. Experimental results show that the biosensor maintained a high degree of linear correlation in the 0-100 μg/L range and a limit of identification is 9.87 μg/L. Examinations confirmed that this biosensor possesses outstanding stability, reproducibility, reusability, selectivity, and adaptability to different pH levels. Real sample tests also yielded satisfactory recoveries, proving the accuracy and reliability of the method, which has good prospects for TCC detection.