Molecularly Imprinted Electrochemical Sensor for the Ultrasensitive and Selective Detection of Venetoclax

In this study, a new electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film was synthesized on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by a photopolymerization (PP) method using acrylamide (AA) as a functional monomer and venetoclax (VEN) as a template molecule. Optimization steps of the MIP film were performed using ferrocyanide/ferricyanide [Fe(CN)₆]^3-/4- as a redox probe. Removal and rebinding of the template molecule were investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The analytical performance of PP-AA@MIP-GCE was evaluated by comparing the DPV response of MIP with that of nonimprinted polymer (NIP). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for DPV determination of VEN on PP-AA@MIP-GCE were 0.016 and 0.055 pM, respectively, and the linearity range was found to be between 0.1 and 1.0 pM. The applicability and legitimacy of the constructed sensor were confirmed through its utilization on synthetic human serum. The selectivity of the sensor was demonstrated using molecules with structures similar to that of VEN and/or drug substances such as ibrutinib and azacitidine, which could potentially be used in combination with VEN. The developed PP-AA@MIP-GCE sensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for VEN and is the first reported method for DPV determination of VEN.