Highly sensitive chemiluminometric and colorimetric probes for acetamiprid assay based on CuSnS quantum dots with peroxide-mimicking activity.

CuSnS quantum dots (QDs) were employed to create colorimetric and chemiluminometric probes for the detection of acetamiprid. We demonstrated that the chemiluminescence (CL) signal of the luminol-hydrogen peroxide system, as well as the absorbance of the oxidation product of TMB with HO, was enhanced by the catalytic effect of CuSnS QDs. Additionally, the enhanced signals from both probes (CL intensity and absorbance) were diminished upon the addition of acetamiprid to the reaction mixture owing to the decrease in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the interaction of hydroxyl radicals with cyanide groups of acetamiprid during the reactions. Based on these findings, we developed a colorimetric sensor for acetamiprid with both spectrophotometer-based and smartphone-based detections (with detection limits of 3.6 nM and 14.2 nM, respectively), alongside a CL sensor with a detection limit of 2.7 nM. The sensors were employed for analyzing food and water samples, yielding satisfactory results. These probes combine the advantages of both techniques, including a low limit of detection and rapid response time of CL, as well as the simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and portable nature of smartphone-based colorimetry that also allows for in-field visual detection.