Biomimetic MOF/MIPs carbohydrate microfluidic paper chip: A versatile sialic acid detection platform from point-of-care screening to food rapid analysis

The development of new technologies for at-home self-testing holds promising potential for chronic disease management and monitoring. Recently, microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) have demonstrated versatile capabilities for point-of-care testing (POCT). Sialic acid (SA), closely linked to the modification of glycoproteins in vivo, serves as an important biomarker for home-based self-testing. In this study, a novel paper-based microfluidic biomimetic chip (FP@Zr-BA@MIP) was successfully developed using boronate affinity surface imprinting technology. This chip exhibited a high adsorption capacity (Q e  = 352.83 mg g −1 ), good selectivity (imprinting factor, IF = 3.67), rapid detection efficiency (within 30 min), and excellent anti-interference capability against sialic acid. Additionally, a visual sensing system was integrated into the platform, enabling rapid, visual, and quantitative analysis of SA. A linear range of 0.1–25 mg L −1 was achieved, with the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) as low as 0.066 mg L −1 and 0.21 mg L −1 , respectively. The synergistic combination of the simple operational features inherent to paper-based microfluidics and the intuitive readout advantage of visual sensing significantly enhanced the simplicity and overall efficiency of the detection process. This design offers a novel approach for realizing a POCT platform for non-invasive analysis of SA.