A molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor for the determination of tofacitinib

Tofacitinib citrate (TOF) is a Janus kinase-3 inhibitor used for rheumatoid arthritis treatment. In this study, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based sensor was produced using acrylamide as the functional monomer via photopolymerization technique for the electrochemical determination of TOF. This study is the first one to explain the electrochemical determination of TOF with a highly selective MIP-based sensor. The surface characterization of the MIP-based sensor was performed with scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy methods, and it was expanded with electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. TOF determination was performed using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and EIS methods in standard solution and spiked serum sample in the linear range between 1×10^-11 M and 1×10^-10 M. Very low limit of detection and limit of quantification values were found, confirming the sensitivity of the sensor. Recovery analysis with spiked serum and tablet samples verified the sensor's accuracy and applicability using DPV and EIS methods. The selectivity of the sensor was confirmed with imprinting factor and interference studies, and the sensor performance was controlled using non-imprinted polymer for comparison at every step.