Self-powered Aptasensors Made with the In2O3–In2S3–Ti3C2 Composite for Dual-mode Detection of Microcystin-LR

A dual-mode self-powered aptasensing platform of photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photofuel cell (PFC) was constructed for Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) detection. Specifically, the In₂O₃-In₂S₃-Ti₃C₂ (IO-IS-TC) composite was facilely assembled on the base of MOF-derived In₂O₃ hollow tubulars, and the integrated mechanism and photoconversion efficiency are proposed and discussed in detail. Herein, a promising dual-mode sensing platform was constructed using the IO-IS-TC composite as a photoanode matrix with higher output power and obvious photocurrent response. Moreover, the dual-mode sensing platform did not require external bias and the addition of sacrificial agents under visible light irradiation. The enhanced PEC properties can be attributed to the matched energy level of ternary components and the improved separation of photogenerated carriers. Moreover, aptamer-based recognition was adopted to catch MC-LR molecules, which realized the highly sensitive and selective detection. The PFC aptasensor was exhibited at 50-5 × 10⁵ pmol/L with a detection limit of 17.4 pmol/L, and the PEC aptasensor was realized from 0.5 to 4 × 10⁵ pmol/L with a detection limit of 0.169 pmol/L. The proposed aptasensing platform showed good specificity, reproducibility, and stability, which paved the way for the construction of a fast and ultrasensitive PEC sensing methodology for environmental analysis.