Regenerating electrochemical detection platform by electro-oxidation mediated host–guest dissociation between 6-mercapto-6-deoxy-β-cyclodextrin and N,N-dimethylaminomethylferrocene

• A renewable electrochemical detection platform was constructed by host–guest recognition. • The detection platform can be regenerated by electro-oxidation within 3 min. • The reconstruction rate of the detection platform exceeds 99%. Regeneration of detection platform is a prior research focus in the field of electrochemical sensors. However, current strategies relied on harsh conditions to regenerate the platform, such as light and chemical treatment, which inhibits the lab-to-life translation of the electrochemical sensors. Here, a regeneratable detection platform was constructed based on the electro-oxidation controlled switch of host–guest recognition between 6-mercapto-6-deoxy-β-cyclodextrin and N,N-dimethylaminomethylferrocene. The platform can be regenerated within 3 min with a regeneration efficiency of 99%. To indicate the practicability of the regeneratable platform, a sample electrochemical immunoassay was constructed for detection of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA), a tumor marker, which showed remarkable detection performance, even after multiple regeneration cycles. This strategy provided a fresh and broadly-interested perspective to regenerate detection platform, benefiting the practical translation of electrochemical sensors.