Mohammadi Somayeh, Sandoval-Pauker Christian, Dorado Zayra N, Senftle Thomas P, Pankow Robert, Sharifan Hamidreza
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States.
Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.
Anal Chem. 2025 May 13;97(18):10075-10084. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01991. Epub 2025 May 3.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), especially perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are emerging environmental and health concerns due to their persistence, resistance to degradation, and bioaccumulation. In this study, we developed a sensitive and selective detection platform based on a sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel modified with nitrogen and fluorinated carbon dots (N,F-CDs) to enhance the detection of PFOA in natural and engineered water systems. The SA hydrogel-N,F-CD composite exhibited strong fluorescence at 480 nm after optimization, achieving a detection limit as low as 0.001 ppt. The sensor was characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and zeta potential spectroscopy, revealing its structural integrity, functional groups, and the surface charge of the SA hydrogel-N,F-CDs network. Sensitivity assessments demonstrated a linear fluorescence response to PFOA concentrations ranging from 1 to 66 ppq. Selectivity tests confirmed the sensor's ability to distinguish PFOA from other perfluorinated compounds, with minimal interference from other substances. The practical applicability of the sensor was validated using spiked recovery experiments with tap water samples from various locations, achieving recovery rates between 94% and 106.6%. This sensor offers a reliable, efficient, and highly sensitive platform for the detection of PFAS, demonstrating its potential for real-world PFAS-monitoring applications.
全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFASs），尤其是全氟辛酸（PFOA），因其持久性、抗降解性和生物累积性，正引发环境和健康方面的关注。在本研究中，我们基于用氮和氟化碳点（N,F-CDs）修饰的海藻酸钠（SA）水凝胶开发了一种灵敏且具选择性的检测平台，以增强对天然和工程水系统中PFOA的检测。经优化后，SA水凝胶-N,F-CD复合材料在480 nm处呈现出强荧光，检测限低至0.001 ppt。通过扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）、粉末X射线衍射（PXRD）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和zeta电位光谱对该传感器进行了表征，揭示了其结构完整性、官能团以及SA水凝胶-N,F-CDs网络的表面电荷。灵敏度评估表明，对浓度范围为1至66 ppq的PFOA呈线性荧光响应。选择性测试证实了该传感器能够区分PFOA与其他全氟化合物，受其他物质的干扰极小。通过对来自不同地点的自来水样品进行加标回收实验，验证了该传感器的实际适用性，回收率在94%至106.6%之间。该传感器为PFAS的检测提供了一个可靠、高效且高度灵敏的平台，展示了其在实际PFAS监测应用中的潜力。
