Work

Colorimetric, Quantitative, and Portable Liquid Crystal Elastomer Biosensing of Cholesterol and Malathion

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) possess a unique characteristic that allows the manipulation of the reflected color by adjusting the spacing between layers. This attribute can create a reliable and cost-effective colorimetric sensing platform for the on-site detection of various substances. In this study, CLCE films were coupled with cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) (CLCE-PAA) or poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (CLCE-PDA) films to monitor cholesterol and malathion levels, respectively. In both cases, the color change is recorded by a mobile phone camera, and the reflectance wavelength is measured spectrophotometrically. For on-site detection, a smartphone application was used to capture the film’s image, process the color data into hue ( H ) values, and calculate the corresponding concentration of the tested analyte via an analysis program. Cholesterol and malathion can be detected within a linear range of 0.2–1.0 mM and 1–10,000 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding recoveries for actual sample analysis were 86–115% and 87–122% for cholesterol and malathion, respectively. This system offers a practical solution for on-site testing of cholesterol and malathion in biological and environmental samples.

Source: Analytical Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05166