Attogram “Meth” Detection Enabled by Selective Organic Crystal Disaggregation via Directed Crystal Level Interactions

In this contribution, completely different from traditional probes based on molecular host-guest interaction, crystal level interaction was proposed as an ultrasensitive design strategy for molecule detection. In such a strategy, crystal-guest interaction triggered rapid crystal disaggregation to gain great signal change, far more efficient than molecule scale coupling. Highly ordered pyrene methanol (PM) crystal was self-assembled with hydrogen bond chain and π-π stacking force. Its {011} surface can be destabilized by methamphetamine hydrochlorate (MA, heavily used illicit drug) selectively and efficiently. The detection limit was improved to an amazing attogram level (5.4 ag/mL, 29.1 fM), 9 orders of magnitude lower than the best reported host-guest result.