Visible-Light Photo-Iniferter Polymerization of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Direct Integration with...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) are versatile synthetic receptors used in chemical sensing.
• Integrating MIPs with nanostructured transducers is key for advanced sensing but faces challenges in controlled deposition.
• Nanoporous silica (PSiO2) offers potential as an optical nanotransducer for MIP integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for controlled deposition of MIPs onto nanostructured transducers.
• To create a MIP-based optical sensor using nanoporous silica for enhanced chemical sensing.
• To demonstrate the sensor's performance for detecting propranolol in real-world samples.

Main Methods:

• Controlled radical photopolymerization of MIPs directly onto nanoporous silica (PSiO2) transducers.
• Utilizing a surface-covalently attached photo-iniferter for precise polymerization control.
• Developing a MIP-based PSiO2 optical sensor for propranolol detection.

Main Results:

• Achieved thin and uniform MIP layer deposition on PSiO2 via controlled photopolymerization.
• The propranolol sensor exhibited excellent linearity, a low detection limit, and high selectivity.
• Demonstrated sensor efficacy in real matrices (tap water) and stability for over 60 days.

Conclusions:

• Controlled photopolymerization is an effective method for depositing MIPs on nanostructured transducers.
• The developed MIP-based PSiO2 optical sensor shows significant promise for sensitive and selective chemical sensing.
• This approach broadens the application of MIPs in advanced chemical sensing systems.