A three-channel colorimetric sensor array utilizing various Fe-MOFs for simultaneous discrimination of multiple pesticides

The rapid discrimination and detection of pesticide residues represent a critical strategy for mitigating food safety risks associated with pesticide contamination. We designed and synthesized three distinct iron-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) nanozymes incorporating varied organic ligands. Owing to the differential modulation of their peroxidase-like activity by different pesticides, a facile yet efficient three-channel sensing array was constructed using these Fe-MOF nanozymes, allowing for the simultaneous discrimination of five pesticides (the minimum distinguishable concentration was 1 μg/mL). By converting pesticide-specific response signals into fingerprint profiles and subjecting them to analysis, including linear discriminant analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, we achieved the classification of diverse pesticide species. Notably, the sensing platform exhibited good discriminative capability even for complex pesticide mixtures and real samples (corn and oat). This approach established a reliable and efficient strategy for pesticide screening, offering significant potential for enhancing food safety monitoring and safeguarding public health.