Self-cleaned electrochemical protein imprinting biosensor basing on a thermo-responsive memory hydrogel.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Electrochemical biosensors offer sensitive detection but often suffer from fouling.
• Thermo-responsive polymers can change structure with temperature, enabling controlled interactions.
• Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) provide selective recognition sites for target molecules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a self-cleaned electrochemical biosensor for bovine serum albumin (BSA).
• To utilize a thermo-responsive memory hydrogel for controlled adsorption and desorption of BSA.
• To integrate MIPs with electrochemistry for enhanced protein detection and sensor regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a self-cleaned electrochemical protein imprinting biosensor on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using free radical polymerization.
• Incorporation of a thermo-responsive memory hydrogel for temperature-controlled BSA adsorption/desorption.
• Electrochemical characterization using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- as a redox probe.
• Surface morphology and wettability analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and contact angle measurements.

Main Results:

• The hydrogel exhibited reversible structural changes in response to temperature, controlling BSA adsorption and desorption.
• Electrochemical techniques (CV and EIS) effectively monitored the BSA binding and release processes.
• The biosensor demonstrated a wide detection range (0.02–10 μmolL⁻¹) with a low detection limit (0.012 μmolL⁻¹).
• High selectivity, excellent stability, acceptable recovery, and good reproducibility were achieved for BSA detection.

Conclusions:

• The developed thermo-responsive hydrogel-based MIP biosensor exhibits effective self-cleaning capabilities.
• This approach provides a promising platform for sensitive, selective, and reusable electrochemical detection of proteins.
• The temperature-triggered adsorption-desorption mechanism enhances biosensor performance and longevity.