Functionalized carbon nanoparticles for smartphone-based sensing of formaldehyde

Formaldehyde (FA) is a volatile organic compound of significant environmental and health concern due to its toxicity and widespread presence in indoor and industrial settings. The development of sensitive, selective, and user-friendly detection systems for FA is therefore of critical importance. In this work, we report a novel fluorescent nanosensor based on carbon nanoparticles functionalized with dopamine for the detection of FA in both aqueous and gaseous phases. The system achieved remarkable limits of detection-87 ppb in water and 10 ppb in air-well below the safety thresholds recommended by the World Health Organization. The sensing performance arises not only from the intrinsic photophysical properties of the carbon core but also from its architecture, which allows the anchoring of multiple recognition sites on a single nanoparticle. This multivalent interaction strategy increases the likelihood of FA binding events, enhancing both sensitivity and selectivity. Computational analysis supports the central role of the nanoparticle in the recognition process. The sensor operates effectively in solution and the solid state, and its compatibility with smartphone-based detection paves the way for the development of portable, low-cost devices for real-time FA monitoring.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nanoscale Advances
Published
2025-11-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/d5na00865d
Primary Topic
Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Functionalized carbon nanoparticles for smartphone-based sensing of formaldehyde

Giovanni Li‐Destri, Roberta Ruffino, Angelo Ferlazzo, Nunzio Tuccitto et al.
Nanoscale Advances
Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
article

Functionalized carbon nanoparticles for smartphone-based sensing of formaldehyde

Giovanni Li‐Destri, Roberta Ruffino, Angelo Ferlazzo, Nunzio Tuccitto, Alessia Cavallaro, Lorenzo Russo, Antonino Gulino, Grazia M. L. Consoli, Giuseppe Trusso Sfrazzetto, Manuel Petroselli, Rossella Santonocito, Loredana Ferreri, Andrea Pappalardo, Víctor Sebastián
article en

Abstract

Formaldehyde (FA) is a volatile organic compound of significant environmental and health concern due to its toxicity and widespread presence in indoor and industrial settings. The development of sensitive, selective, and user-friendly detection systems for FA is therefore of critical importance. In this work, we report a novel fluorescent nanosensor based on carbon nanoparticles functionalized with dopamine for the detection of FA in both aqueous and gaseous phases. The system achieved remarkable limits of detection-87 ppb in water and 10 ppb in air-well below the safety thresholds recommended by the World Health Organization. The sensing performance arises not only from the intrinsic photophysical properties of the carbon core but also from its architecture, which allows the anchoring of multiple recognition sites on a single nanoparticle. This multivalent interaction strategy increases the likelihood of FA binding events, enhancing both sensitivity and selectivity. Computational analysis supports the central role of the nanoparticle in the recognition process. The sensor operates effectively in solution and the solid state, and its compatibility with smartphone-based detection paves the way for the development of portable, low-cost devices for real-time FA monitoring.

Nanoscale AdvancesVol. 8(1)
Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro” (IT), Universidad de Zaragoza (ES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES), University of Catania (IT), Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase (IT), Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (ES), Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (ES)
European Commission, Università degli Studi di Camerino, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Openalex Percentile: Top 54%
Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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