Preparation of Co dual atomic site catalysts loaded on defect-engineered MOFs material with superb chemiluminescent enhancement effect for sensitive detection of bacteria

Dual atomic site catalysts (DASCs) have aroused extensive interest in analytical chemistry on account of the superb catalytic activity caused by the highly-exposed active centers and synergistic effect of adjacent active centers. The reported protocols for preparing DASCs usually involve harsh conditions such as acid/base etching and high-temperature calcination, leading to unfavorable water dispersity and restricted application. It is crucial to develop DASCs with satisfactory water dispersity, improved stability, and mild preparation procedures to facilitate their application as signal probes in analytical chemistry. Results: Formic acid was adopted as a modulator for preparing MOF-808 with abundant defective sites, which was used as the carrier for implanting Co atoms. Co DASCs with a special coordination structure of Co2–O10 and a high loading efficiency of 11.1 wt% were prepared with a mild solvothermal protocol. The resultant Co DASCs can significantly accelerate decay of H2O2 for forming numerous reactive oxygen radicals and boost chemiluminescent (CL) signal. Co DASCs at 1.0 μg mL−1 can enhance the CL signal of luminol-H2O2 system by about 5800 times. Thanks to their satisfactory water dispersity and excellent CL enhancement performance, they were used as ultra-sensitive CL signal probes for monitoring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The method shows a detection range of 102–107 CFU mL−1 and a detection limit of 47 CFU mL−1. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed with the established CL method to prove its practicality. Significance: The water dispersible Co DASCs prepared with facile and mild solvothermal protocol exhibit prominent peroxidase-like activity and can promote the production of reactive oxygen radicals for boosting CL signal. Therefore, this study paves an avenue for implanting DASCs in defect-engineered carrier to prepare signal probes suitable for development of ultra-sensitive CL analytical methods.