Adsorption–catalysis integrated Au@ZIF-8 for structural detoxification and trace detection of nitro impurities

Abstract

An adsorption–catalysis–sensitization integrated composite, Au@ZIF-8, was constructed. Under mild conditions, Au@ZIF-8 converts 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol and reduces N-nitrosodimethylamine to highly ionizable dimethylamine, transforming a latent carcinogenic hazard into a detoxified and readily detectable surrogate. This programmed workflow boosts LC-MS/MS sensitivity by nearly 50-fold and establishes a general MOF-based strategy for surveillance and control of nitro impurities.