Zhang D, Sun Y, Wang Z, Liu F, Zhang X. Switchable biomimetic nanochannels for on-demand SO
2 detection by light-controlled photochromism.
Nat Commun 2023;
14:1901. [PMID:
37019894 PMCID:
PMC10076267 DOI:
10.1038/s41467-023-37654-y]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the conventional passive reaction to analytes, here, we create a proof-of-concept nanochannel system capable of on-demand recognition of the target to achieve an unbiased response. Inspired by light-activatable biological channelrhodopsin-2, photochromic spiropyran/anodic aluminium oxide nanochannel sensors are constructed to realize a light-controlled inert/active-switchable response to SO2 by ionic transport behaviour. We find that light can finely regulate the reactivity of the nanochannels for the on-demand detection of SO2. Pristine spiropyran/anodic aluminium oxide nanochannels are not reactive to SO2. After ultraviolet irradiation of the nanochannels, spiropyran isomerizes to merocyanine with a carbon‒carbon double bond nucleophilic site, which can react with SO2 to generate a new hydrophilic adduct. Benefiting from increasing asymmetric wettability, the proposed device exhibits a robust photoactivated detection performance in SO2 detection in the range from 10 nM to 1 mM achieved by monitoring the rectified current.
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