Molecularly imprinted polymer-coated metal-organic cages as ambient ionization probes for rapid detection of aflatoxins in peanut and corn
摘要
A novel integrated ion source component based on molecularly imprinted polymer-coated metal-organic cages (SSS@MOC@MIP) was developed for rapid aflatoxin (AFs) detection via ambient mass spectrometry (AMS). By leveraging the synergistic effects of a high-surface-area MOC scaffold which endows the material with exceptional adsorption capacity and specific imprinted cavities, this integrated probe enables simultaneous enrichment, purification, and ionization on a single device. The method effectively suppressed severe matrix interferences from peanut oil and corn starch (matrix effects within ± 15.3%) and achieved a high imprinting factor of 3.27. Under optimized conditions, the SSS@MOC@MIP-AMS method allowed for rapid quantification within 1 min, with low limits of detection (0.11–0.54 µg/kg) and satisfactory recoveries (79.05%–108.29%), and excellent precision with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 14.63%. The probe exhibited robust reusability for at least six cycles. Practical application to commercial samples confirmed its reliability, offering a powerful and high-throughput tool for the rapid screening of trace-level aflatoxins in complex food matrices.
Graphical abstract