RuZn NPs with electroactivity and oxidase-like property for dual-mode anti-cancer drug monitoring

6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) as the effective anti-cancer drug was used for the treatment of Crohn's disease and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, but the response to maintenance therapy was variable with individual differences. In order to control the dosage and decrease the side effects of 6-MP, a sensitive and stable assay was urgently needed for 6-MP monitoring. Herein, RuZn NPs with electrochemical oxidation property and oxidase-like activity was proposed for dual-mode 6-MP monitoring. Burr-like RuZn NPs were prepared and explored to not only exhibit an electrochemical oxidation signal at 0.78 V, but also displayed excellent oxidase-like performances. RuZn NPs were utilized for the dual-mode monitoring of 6-MP, attributing to the formation of Ru-SH covalent bonding. The colorimetric method showed good linearity from 10 μM to 5 mM with the limit of detection (LOD) of 300 nM, while the electrochemical method provided a higher sensitivity with the LOD of 37 nM in range from 100 nM to 200 μM. This work provided a new way for the fabrication of dual-functional nanotags with electroactivity and oxidase-like property, and opened a dual-mode approach for the 6-MP detection applications with complementary and satisfactory results. [Display omitted] •Burr-like RuZn NPs are firstly prepared.•RuZn NPs exhibit an electrochemical oxidation signal at 0.78 V.•RuZn NPs show oxidase-like performances.•RuZn NPs engineered dual-mode sensor achieves 6-MP detection.