Developing a generally applicable electrochemical sensor for detecting macrolides in water with thiophene-based...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Macrolide antibiotics, particularly azithromycin (AZN), are increasingly detected in water environments, posing a threat to human health.
• Electrochemical sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are promising for in-situ monitoring in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust electrochemical sensor with enhanced binding capacity and preparation consistency for detecting macrolide antibiotics.
• To overcome challenges in MIP sensor fabrication, including low initiation potentials and complex polymerization routes of existing monomers.

Main Methods:

• Investigated and compared various monomers using electrochemical tools for sensor construction.
• Developed a novel protocol using a functional monomer with a phenyl group for dominant electropolymerization.
• Modified cross-linking monomers with electron-withdrawing groups and incorporated a monothiophene linker to control polymerization and mitigate steric hindrance.

Main Results:

• The optimized sensor demonstrated a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.120 μM for azithromycin (AZN).
• The sensor exhibited satisfactory selectivity for AZN and other macrolide antibiotics.
• The developed protocol ensures specific polymerization order and improved sensor performance.

Conclusions:

• A novel electrochemical sensor design effectively addresses challenges in MIP sensor fabrication for macrolide antibiotic detection.
• The proposed method offers a reliable platform for constructing sensors applicable to various macrolide antibiotics in environmental monitoring.