A Cytidine-Modified surfactant anchored liquid crystal Droplet-Based sensor for rapid and accurate detection of silver ions

Liquid crystal (LC) droplets exhibit unique and sensitive response behaviors to surface absorptions, making them promising candidates for sensing aplications. Here, we have developed a label-free, portable, and cost-effective sensor for the specific and rapid detection of silver ions (Ag + ) in drinking-water samples. To achieve this, we have modified cytidine into a surfactant (denoted as C10–M–C) and anchored it onto the surface of LC droplets. The specific binding ability between cytidine and Ag + enables LC droplets anchored with C10–M–C to respond rapidly and specifically to Ag + ions. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the response meets requirements for the harmless concentration of Ag + in drinking-water. The sensor we developed is label-free, portable, and cost-effectively. We believe that the sensor reported here can be applied to the detection of Ag + in drinking-water and environmental samples.