Functionalized Nanomaterials Promote Rapid Analysis of New Contaminants in Foods: from Design to Application

In recent years, the exposure risk of emerging contaminants in the food chain has become increasingly prominent. Although conventional analytical techniques are sensitive and accurate, they remain limited in complex matrices with low detection efficiency, cumbersome sample pretreatment, and high operational costs. Functionalized nanomaterials, with their high specific surface area, tunable surface chemistry, and superior signal responsiveness, provide a new material foundation for the rapid analysis of emerging contaminants. This review systematically summarizes the application characteristics of various nanomaterials in contaminant enrichment, signal transduction, and analytical platform integration. It further elucidates the role of functional design in performance optimization from three aspects: bottom-up synthesis, post-synthetic modification, and multi-material synergy. Based on case studies on the analysis of different emerging contaminants in foods, the review discusses recent advances in the application of these materials for improving the detection sensitivity, reducing the detection time, and achieving platform integration. Finally, a feasible technical roadmap is proposed for rapid on-site detection and risk prevention, with the aim of offering insights for future monitoring and control of emerging contaminants in foods.