Double quenching electrochemiluminescence aptsensor based on free radical elimination and resonance energy transfer for the sensitive detection of zearalenonea

Zearalenone (ZEN) has serious impacts on human and animal health due to its mutagenicity, teratogenicity, carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity, and genetic toxicity. In this study, an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptsensor for ultrasensitive ZEN detection was constructed based on the double quenching effect of CM-MOFs. Luminol was fixed on the gold nanoparticle-modified Prussian blue analogs (Au NPs@PBAs) with catalytic activity by Au-NH2 to obtain Lu@Au@PBAs with stable and strong signal output. Bimetallic porphyrin metal-organic frameworks (CM-MOFs) improve the sensitivity of aptsensors through radical elimination and resonance energy transfer strategies. The experimental data shows that the dynamic detection range of the aptsensor is 500 fg/mL similar to 100 ng/mL, and the limit of detection is as low as 0.37 pg/mL. The aptsensor is proven to be suitable for the detection of ZEN in corn flour and has strong practicability. It is important that the ECL detection strategy can be used to detect other similar analytes and has a wide range of potential applications in food analytical detection.