Switchable biomimetic nanochannels for on-demand SO<sub>2</sub> detection by light-controlled photochromism.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37019894.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-37654-y and PMC identifier 10076267.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
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 SO<sub>2</sub> by ionic transport behaviour. We find that light can finely regulate the reactivity of the nanochannels for the on-demand detection of SO<sub>2</sub>. Pristine spiropyran/anodic aluminium oxide nanochannels are not reactive to SO<sub>2</sub>. After ultraviolet irradiation of the nanochannels, spiropyran isomerizes to merocyanine with a carbon‒carbon double bond nucleophilic site, which can react with SO<sub>2</sub> to generate a new hydrophilic adduct. Benefiting from increasing asymmetric wettability, the proposed device exhibits a robust photoactivated detection performance in SO<sub>2</sub> detection in the range from 10 nM to 1 mM achieved by monitoring the rectified current.