Highly Stable ECL Sensor Based on Self-Supplied H2O2 Probe and MOF Nanozyme for Ultrasensitive Environmental Mycotoxin ZEA Detection

Abstract

Zearalenone (ZEA), an environmental mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, is widely present in grains and grain products. Due to its potent carcinogenicity and toxicity, it poses a serious threat to human and animal health, necessitating the development of simple, sensitive, and reliable ZEA detection methods. This study constructed a novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) probe based on Cu2O@Au. This probe synergistically interacts with luminol, utilizing enzyme-catalyzed glucose decomposition to generate H2O2, which is further catalyzed to hydroxyl radicals (OH•), thereby significantly amplifying the ECL signal. To enhance catalytic efficiency, a Tb-Cu metal-organic framework (Tb-Cu MOF) with horseradish peroxidase-mimetic activity was integrated onto the sensor interface to accelerate hydrogen peroxide decomposition. This integrated sensing platform achieves highly sensitive detection of ZEA, with a detection limit as low as 0.017 pg/mL and a linear range spanning 0.10 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL. This strategy provides a powerful analytical tool for detecting trace toxins in complex biological matrices, demonstrating broad application prospects in fields such as food safety and environmental analysis.