A surface plasmon resonance sensor for the detection of deoxynivalenol using a molecularly imprinted polymer

The aim of the present work was to investigate the feasibility of applying the molecular imprinting polymer technique to the detection of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) transducer. A molecularly imprinted polypyrrole (MIPPy) film was prepared via electropolymerization of pyrrole onto a bare Au chip in the presence of a template DON molecule. Atomic force microscope SPR analysis showed that the MIPPy film was deposited homogeneously on the Au surface, with a thickness of 5 nm. The MIPPy-SPR sensor exhibited a linear response for the detection of DON in the range of 0.1-100 ng/mL (R2 = 0.988). The selectivity efficiency of the MIPPy film for DON and its acetylated analogs 3-ADON and 15-ADON was 100, 19, and 44%, respectively. The limit of detection for DON with the MIPPy-SPR for a standard solution was estimated at >1 ng/mL. These results suggest that the combination of SPR sensing with a MIPPy film as a synthetic receptor can be used to detect DON.