RETRACTED: Simple and sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer-MPA capped Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots-based phosphorescence probe for cyanotoxins determination in algae metabolites

Abstract

Abstract This paper aimed to develop a simple method for detection and quantification of cylindrospermopsin (CYN) in the water sample. The novel biosensor was based on molecular imprinted Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots. Two fragments which mimicked the partial structure of CYN were carefully selected to synthesize the molecularly imprinted 3-mercaptopropionic acid-capped Mn-ZnS quantum dots (MPA-MnZnS-QDs-MIPs). As the two fragment imprinted sites could enhance the rebinding of CYN into them and modulated Mn-ZnS QDs’ selective aggregation in MPA-MnZnS-QDs-MIPs. Hence, the enhanced room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) response was observed as the MPA-MnZnS-QDs-MIPs interacted with CYN in the water sample. A good linear relationship with the concentration of CYN in the range of 30–320 μg L−1 with a detection limit of 24 μg L−1 was demonstrated by the enhanced phosphorescence intensity ratio ΔP/P0. And our detection method exhibited higher selectivity for CYN than the two partial fragments. Also, there was no interference on the detection system when the competitors were present in the algae culture samples. The method presented required minimal expertise and enabled fast and inexpensive monitoring of the water toxins.