Dual-Mode Detection of Perfluorooctanoic Acid Using Up-Conversion Fluorescent Silicon Quantum Dots–Molecularly Imprinted Polymers and Smartphone Sensing

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a persistent and bioaccumulative hazardous pollutant, presenting substantial threats to the environment and human health. The dual-mode, portable, sensitive, low-background, and cost-effective detection methods for PFOA were developed by integrating up-conversion fluorescent silicon quantum dot-molecularly imprinted polymer (MIPs) with a smartphone-based sensing system. The interaction between PFOA and MIPs resulted in a fluorescence quenching with a range of 2-20 µmol/L and a limit of detection (LOD) of 37.5 nmol/L for the low-background up-conversion fluorescence detection of PFOA, whereas the portable smartphone sensing platform enabled the detection of PFOA with a linear range of 0-5 µmol/L and a LOD of 73.9 nmol/L. Furthermore, the established methods were successfully applied to the detection of PFOA in environmental waters and food samples. This study provides the dual-mode, portable, novel, practical and low-background approaches for the detection of PFOA in the environment and food products.