Universal Nanoplatform for Formaldehyde Detection Based on the Oxidase-Mimicking Activity of MnO2 Nanosheets and the In Situ Catalysis-Produced Fluorescence Species.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) pollution is a scientific problem of general concern and has aroused wide attention. In this work, a fluorometric method for sensitive detection of formaldehyde was developed based on the oxidase-mimicking activity of MnO2 nanosheets in the presence of o-phenylenediamine (OPD). The MnO2 nanosheets were prepared by the bottom-up approach using manganese salt as the precursor, followed by the exfoliation with bovine serum albumin. The as-prepared MnO2 nanosheets displayed excellent oxidase-mimicking activity, and can be used as the nanoplatform for sensing in fluorometric analysis. OPD was used as a typical substrate because MnO2 nanosheets can catalyze the oxidation of OPD to generate yellow 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP), which can emit bright yellow fluorescence at the wavelength of 560 nm. While in the presence of formaldehyde, the fluorescence was greatly quenched because formaldehyde can react with OPD to form Schiff bases that decreased the oxidation reaction of OPD to DAP. The main mechanism and the selectivity of the platform were studied. As a result, formaldehyde can be sensitively detected in a wide linear range of 0.8-100 μM with the detection limit as low as 6.2 × 10-8 M. The platform can be used for the detection of formaldehyde in air, beer, and various food samples with good performance. This work not only expands the application of MnO2 nanosheets in fluorescence sensing, but also provides a sensitive and selective method for the detection of formaldehyde in various samples via a new mechanism.