Supramolecular Fluorescence Probe for Rapid Visual Detection of Pyrethroid and Composite Aerogel as a Pyrethroid Vapor Sensor

The threat of environmental and health damage using pyrethroid long-term has been of particular concern. Limited by complex current methods and limited quantification capability, achieving efficient and fast detection for pyrethroid is still challenging. Herein, we present a novel supramolecular fluorescence probe constituting albumin (ALB) and flavonoid-derived fluorophores (AFL) for the quantitative monitoring of pyrethroid. Upon the introduction of pyrethroid, the conformational modification occurs in the albumin moiety, engendering the change of environmental polarity surrounding the flavonoid fluorophore of the probe. This physicochemical interaction triggers a chromatic transition of the AFL@ALB probe from yellow to green emission within a short time of 10 s. The response is expansively linear in the 0-72 μM concentration range with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.0773 μM. The probe presented high selectivity and anti-interference capabilities. Significantly, the probe has been used to fabricate test strips for the visual detection of pyrethroid, which validate on-site quantification with the smartphone platform. Since pyrethroid might exist in gaseous form, a composite aerogel-based sensor was successfully developed with the AFL@ALB probe for efficient adsorption and detection. The applicability of this innovative method extends to quantify pyrethroid in authentic environmental samples, thereby offering new insights for the application of supramolecular fluorescence materials into sensors.