As a typical antibiotic pollutant, tetracycline (TC)
is producing
increasing threats to the ecosystem and human health, and exploring
convenient means for monitoring of TC is needed. Here, we proposed
alkali-etched imprinted Mn-based Prussian blue analogues featuring
superior oxidase-mimetic activity and precise recognition for the
colorimetric sensing of TC. Simply etching Mn-based Prussian blue
analogues (Mn-PBAs) with NaOH could expose the sites and surfaces
to significantly improve their catalytic activity. Density functional
theory calculations were employed to screen the molecularly imprinted
polymer (MIP) layer for target identification. Consequently, the designed
Mn-PBANaOH@MIP possessed the rich channels for substrates
to get in touch with the active Mn-PBANaOH core, showing
an excellent catalytic capacity to trigger the chromogenic oxidation
of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) without the
use of H2O2. If TC was introduced, it would
be recognized selectively by the MIP shell and masked the channels
for TMB access, resulting in the obstruction of the chromogenic reaction.
According to this mechanism, selective optical detection of TC was
achieved, and performance stability, reusability, and reliability
as well as practicability were also verified, promising potential
for TC monitoring in complex matrices. Our work not only presents
an effective way to enhance the enzyme-like activity of Prussian blue
analogues but also provides a facile approach for TC sensing. Additionally,
the work will inspire the exploration of molecularly imprinted nanozymes
for various applications.