Bisphenol A (BPA) displays harmful effects on the human health, including potent endocrine activity and potential impact on the development of
cancer. Analysis BPA residues in water and
plastic products attracted considerable attention in the past decades. However, dominantly used conventional analysis techniques are unable to directly and non-destructively identify the correct species of BPA in
plastic products. Hence, this study demonstrates the effective utilisation of
boron nitride quantum dots (BNQDs) as an inorganic matrix in matrix-assisted
laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry analysis and imaging (MALDI-MS & MSI) for BPA. The presence of abundant
hydroxyl and amino groups on the BNQDs' surface is favourable for the formation of hydrogen bonds with BPA, and increases their ionization and chemoselectivity. Intriguingly, the BNQDs matrix offers a distinct signal for phenolic hazardous molecules featuring different
hydroxyl groups. The method was applied to detect BPA at nanomolar level in environmental water, and also allowed non-destructive and in situ mapping of BPA in plastics and
pacifiers. This research provides a novel strategy for adapting nanomaterials as inorganic matrices for analysis of small molecular
pollutants in environmentally relevant samples using MALDI-MS & MSI.