Potentiometric transducer based biomimetic sensors for priority envirotoxic markers--an overview

Most of the potentiometric sensing electrodes offer detection limits of the order of approximately 1 micromol L(-1) rarely stretching down to 0.1 micromol L(-1). Recent advances have made it possible to bring these levels down to 0.01-10 nmol L(-1) for some inorganic ions. Most of these electrodes (barring a few) have come up to expectations in terms of selectivity in spite of significant strides made in the design and synthesis of novel chemical receptors. Imprinted polymers or plastic antibodies which rely on lock and key mechanism can, in principle, selectively rebind and sense a particular analyte in a host of other analogous species of similar size, shape and geometry. Thus, the integration of imprinted polymers with potentiometric transducers has immense potentialities in the fabrication of commercial sensing devices. This review gives an overview of research efforts made so far in this direction, critically discusses the virtues and vices and presents the futuristic scenario on imprinted polymer based potentiometric sensors.