Rapid and user-friendly detection of selenium-rich foods using a THEATER colorimetric device with Pt-Co-N-C as viewing glasses

The consumption of Se-rich foods is a highly effective means of augmenting a person’s intake of Se, which plays a critical role in human health; however, excessive Se consumption can be toxic. The determination of Se levels is therefore of paramount importance to ensure the safety of both the production and consumption of selenium-rich foods. In this study, a rapid and user-friendly method is developed for the analysis of selenium-rich foods wherein the detection process is similar to watching three-dimensional movies in a theater. A portable 3D-printed colorimetric device called the Detection THEATER (Time-saving, High-sensitive, Easy, Accurate, Telling, Economical, and Rapid) is first constructed for the rapid and visually accessible colorimetric analysis of samples in nonlaboratory settings. Subsequently, the Co-N-C nanozyme is doped with Pt to produce a Pt-Co-N-C nanozyme with superior peroxidase-like activity, which serves as the viewing glasses for signal amplification in the Detection THEATER. The Detection THEATER exhibits excellent sensitivity and accuracy, including a linear range of 0.5–1.2 μg/mL and a low detection limit of 0.026 μg/mL. The pretreatment of food samples is also optimized and simplified, thereby reducing processing times three-fold and enhancing accessibility and usability. The Pt-Co-N-C nanozyme-based Detection THEATER, demonstrated outstanding specificity and practicality, opening up a new avenue for the analysis of selenium-rich foods.