CdTe@ZnS quantum dots for rapid detection of organophosphorus pesticide in agricultural products

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Vol. 318; p. 124451
• Main Authors: Maosong, Lin, Yanxue, Guo, Liang, Xiang, Dan, Liang, Luxuan, Li, Yiming, Li, Jianglan, Qu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 05.10.2024
• Subjects: Cadmium Compounds - chemistry; Chlorpyrifos; Chlorpyrifos - analysis; Fluorescence; Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer - methods; Food Contamination - analysis; Limit of Detection; Malus - chemistry; Organophosphorus Compounds - analysis; Organophosphorus pesticide residues; Pesticides - analysis; Quantum dots; Quantum Dots - chemistry; Sulfides - chemistry; Tellurium - chemistry; Zinc Compounds - chemistry; Chlorpyrifos; Fluorescence; Organophosphorus pesticide residues; Quantum dots
• ISSN: 1386-1425; 1873-3557
• DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.124451

[Display omitted] •A fluorescence sensing system, employing low-toxicity quantum dots, was developed independent of enzymes and antibodies.•The quantum dot sensor achieves a remarkable detection limit of 10 ppb for chlorpyrifos, demonstrating notable resistance to interference from other pesticides.•The quantum dot sensor enables rapid and precise detection of organophosphorus thiophosphate pesticides in agricultural products, aligning with the capabilities of high-performance liquid chromatography detection. Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) constitute the most widely employed class of pesticides. However, the prevalent use of OPPs, while advantageous, raises concerns due to their toxicity, posing serious threats to food safety. Chemical sensors utilizing quantum dots (QDs) demonstrate promising applications in rapidly detecting OPPs residues, thereby facilitating efficient inspection of agricultural products. In this study, we employ an aqueous synthesis approach to prepare low toxic CdTe@ZnS QDs with stable fluorescence properties. To mitigate the risk of imprecise measurements stemming from the inherent susceptibility of fluorescence to quenching, we have adopted the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) for the construction of the turn-on quantum dot sensor. With a detection limit for chlorpyrifos as low as 10 ppb (10 μg/L), the QDs sensor exhibits notable resistance to interference from various pesticides. Application of this system to detect organophosphorothioate pesticides in apples produced results consistent with those obtained from high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detection, affirming the promising application prospects of this sensing system for the rapid detection of OPPs residues.