Themed collection Analytical Methods HOT Articles 2026

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is increasingly emerging as a pivotal analytical technique in the field of clinical diagnostics.

This review explores the emerging role of wearable electrochemical biosensors as non-invasive tools for sport doping control, emphasizing sweat and saliva as complementary biofluid platforms for real-time and longitudinal monitoring.

This review summarizes ambient ionization mass spectrometry-enabled workflows for rapid, minimally prepared screening and confirmatory identification of illegal pharmaceutical adulterants in traditional Chinese medicine products.

This minireview summarizes the latest MOG-based fluorescent sensing advances via a “foundation-design-mechanism-application” framework, providing a comprehensive reference for researchers designing, optimizing and translating these platforms.

Schematic of one-pot isothermal amplification–CRISPR/Cas detection. Targets are amplified (RPA 37–42 °C or LAMP 60–65 °C), followed by Cas-mediated trans-cleavage to generate signals via reporter cleavage, enabling flexible readouts.

Analytical mass spectrometry is used to study a variety of analytes, including metabolites, lipids, pharmaceutical compounds, pesticides, petroleum, proteins, protein complexes, nucleic acids, and glycans, across a wide range of research fields.

Nanopore sensing explores the aggregation behaviors of cyclic peptides, unveiling distinct ionic current signatures and insights into their structural dynamics.

This work designed a paper-based portable colorimetric immunoassay of carcinoembryonic antigen using strain-induced PtCu bimetallic nanozymes with smartphone readout.

This homogeneous Kana-AlphaLICA assay enables highly sensitive detection of kanamycin residues in milk and honey within 15 min, providing a rapid tool for high-throughput food safety screening of dairy and apiculture products.

A photothermal aptamer biosensor was built for detecting histamine using HCR amplification and CuS@Au nanocomposites and quantified through the thermometer.

A highly automated SPE-GC-MS/MS workflow was developed for sensitive biomonitoring of eight N-nitrosamines in human urine using only 4 mL of sample.

A new strategy is proposed to improve the accuracy and precision of isotope analysis using ICP-QMS by controlling ion motion trajectories and reducing mass discrimination.

Carboxyl-rich carbon dots combined with six chemically distinct pH 5.0 media generate orthogonal fluorescence fingerprints, enabling machine-learning-assisted discrimination of 15 metal ions and their mixtures in complex environmental samples.

Helicobacter pylori infection is a major etiological factor in chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer, highlighting the demand for sensitive, non-invasive, and operationally simple diagnostic strategies.

A new fluorescent probe was developed upon a multiple non-covalent recognition for EG-2201, eliciting a sensitive response via highly efficient TSCT. By combining the probe with an intelligent device, the precise detection of EG-2201 was achieved.

A colorimetric-photothermal dual-mode direct sensing strategy for organophosphorus pesticides was designed by preparing a zirconium/vanadium bimetallic organic framework as a nanozyme and 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine as the catalytic substrate.

TD-GC-MS was used to characterize the headspace of an improvised explosive, R-Salt. This study provides foundational data and methodology that is essential for the development and validation of canine training aids and field vapor sampling devices.

Electrochemical ethanol oxidation produces H₂ and value-added acetate, but accurate acetate quantification in highly alkaline, ethanol-rich electrolytes is challenging. Derivatization-coupled UV-Vis spectroscopy offers an effective solution.

IMOGI (Innovative Method Orange Gradient Index) is a visual framework for evaluating innovation in analytical methods using ten objective criteria. A concentric orange-gradient chart generates a transparent score (0–100), enabling rapid benchmarking of methodological innovation and modernization.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as promising non-invasive biomarkers for coronary heart disease (CHD); however, their accurate quantification remains challenging due to their short length, low abundance, and high sequence homology.

MIP based electrochemical detection method for Colistin, a peptide-based antibiotic used against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections.

An innovative ECL aptasensor based on a DNA-mediated synergistic proximity cooperative complex comprising three ferrocene groups was developed for MC-LR detection.

An orthogonal extraction workflow enables deep plasma proteome coverage and metabolomic compatibility from only 10 µL plasma, improving low-abundance protein detection while preserving robust metabolite profiling for integrated biomarker discovery.

A multifunctional mesoporous silica nanosphere driven self-powered photoelectrochemical/electrochemical dual-mode platform for sensitive TNF-α detection.

A europium-functionalized HOF (Eu@HOF-TMA) was fabricated and developed as a fluorescent sensor for ratiometric detection of zearalenone (ZEA) with high selectivity and sensitivity. An instrument-free visual detection method for ZEA was constructed.

Controlled drug delivery from stimuli-responsive drug carriers offers effective therapeutic potential; however, the precise assessment of the release kinetics and pharmacodynamic (PD) behavior remains challenging.

Oxidative stress and cytoskeleton remodeling are well established, but methods to assess cytoskeletal organization and mechanics remain invasive, hard to quantify dynamically, and dependent on fluorescence or electron microscopy.

First zebrafish-based safety-assessed Hg²⁺-sensing carbon dots with ultrahigh performance resolve the trade-off between sensitive detection and environmental safety.

An AgNPs@MOF bifunctional nanocomposite (combining peroxidase-like catalytic properties and surface-enhanced Raman activity substrate) was synthesized.

Zearalenone (ZEA), an environmental mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, is widely present in grains and grain products.

A diffuse reflectance spectral database of 15 UAV materials was established. The KNN algorithm achieved perfect classification, and feature importance analysis identified key bands for targeted multispectral sensing.

Benvitimod is a non-steroidal tyrosine protein kinase inhibitor commonly used to treat psoriasis.

A novel PEC immunosensor was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of CA12-5, employing a CdS/SrTiO₃ heterojunction as a high-performance photoactive matrix and utilizing a NiCo₂O₄ nanozyme as an efficient dual-mode signal quenching probe.

A ratiometric electrochemical aptasensor has been successfully developed for ultrasensitive detection of zearalenone. Furthermore, this method has been successfully applied to detect ZEN in wine.

By integrating an SCas12a-mediated cascade strand displacement reaction with a phosphorothioate-modified G-quadruplex reporter, a portable “turn-on” colorimetric/photothermal system was engineered for sensitive detection of Hg²⁺.

A single-step duplex CRISPR assay that integrated parallelized Cas12a and Cas13a in one-pot, coupled with visual lateral flow assay, enabling simultaneous point-of-care diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus and Treponema pallidum.

A CRISPR/Cas9-regulated dual-ring topological allosteric probe was developed for ultrasensitive and specific detection of the EGFR L858R mutation, where the released reporter ring triggers RCA and fluorescent probe hybridization for signal readout.

A sensitive ECL cytosensor based on polyaniline and the HCR amplification strategy for detection of circulating tumor cells.

This study presents the development of a CRISPR/Cas12a platform. Sensitive and selective detection of specific targets is achieved. Moreover, trace amounts of these targets were successfully detected in real samples.

A modular HCR–AgNC sensor using cluster transfer for nucleic acid detection: adaptable design and proof-of-concept performance.

A novel and ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor based on β-cyclodextrinylated graphene and double-stranded DNA has been successfully developed for OTA detection. Furthermore, this method has been successfully applied to detect OTA in wine.

A label-free and universal platform based on CRISPR/Cas12a was developed for the detection of hazardous substances. Trace amounts of AFB1 and ACE were successfully detected in real food samples.

Monitoring nitrite and bisulfite in environmental waters, beverages, and food products is highly relevant due to their regulatory limits and potential risks to human health.

Our research team developed AB-38b, a biphenyl diester derivative containing α,β-unsaturated carbonyl groups, inspired by investigations into the pharmacological prevention and pathophysiology of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

We demonstrate rapid, simultaneous quantification of multiple cooling agents in complex matrices using a novel time-resolved thermal desorption technique coupled with miniature ion trap mass spectrometry.

In this study, nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NMC) was synthesized using Zn-MOF-8 as a template, followed by further reaction with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to prepare the NMC/MWCNTs nanocomposite.