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.