<p>Three nucleic acid DNA-modified materials were synthesized and used to the highly sensitive and highly selective chemiluminescence (CL) detection of adenosine (ADE) based on a nucleic acid cycle amplification strategy. These materials include magnetic carbon nanotubes modified with an adenosine aptamer and its complementary DNA (MCNTs@Apt-cDNA), octahedral Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles modified with hairpin DNA (Octa-Fe₃O₄@H₁DNA), and carbon quantum dot@luminol composites modified with auxiliary DNA (CQDs@luminol-sDNA). They were used to construct a CL aptasensor for ADE detection. When ADE is present, ADE molecules specifically recognize and bind to the Apt in MCNTs@Apt-cDNA, leading to the release of cDNA. The released cDNA then reacts with H₁DNA in Octa-Fe₃O₄@H₁DNA, opening the hairpin structure of H₁DNA. Subsequently, Octa-Fe₃O₄ interacts with CQDs@luminol-sDNA to release cDNA again. This released cDNA triggers the opening of H₁DNA in Octa-Fe₃O₄@H₁DNA once more, thereby realizing the repeated recycling of cDNA and generating Octa-Fe₃O₄@H₁DNA conjugated with a large amount of CQDs@luminol-sDNA. For the resulting Octa-Fe₃O₄@H₁DNA(CQDs@luminol-sDNA)_n complex, luminol acts as the CL substance, while Octa-Fe₃O₄ and CQDs serve as catalysts. The short distance between luminol and catalysts enhances the CL intensity. As the concentration of ADE molecules increases, more CQDs@luminol-sDNA binds to Octa-Fe₃O₄@H₁DNA, resulting in increased CL intensity and enabling the quantitative detection of ADE. The aptasensor exhibited a linear range of 1.0 × 10^− 4 ~ 10.0 nmol/L and a detection limit of 3.2 × 10^− 5 nmol/L for ADE detection. Finally, it was successfully applied to the detection of ADE in serum samples.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>