Molecularly Imprinted Polyaniline-Functionalized Lateral-Flow Membrane for Highly Sensitive and Selective Per- and...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose a significant environmental challenge.
• Current PFAS detection methods (e.g., LC-MS/MS) are complex, time-consuming, and lab-dependent.
• There is a critical need for rapid, on-site screening methods for PFAS contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, rapid, and sensitive sensor for detecting PFAS in water.
• To utilize a functionalized lateral-flow membrane with molecularly imprinted polyaniline for selective PFAS adsorption.
• To enable on-site environmental monitoring and compliance screening of PFAS.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a lateral-flow membrane functionalized with a chemiresistive molecularly imprinted polyaniline film.
• Utilizing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as a template for molecular imprinting to achieve PFOA-specific adsorption.
• Measuring changes in polyaniline conductance induced by PFAS binding and protonic doping.

Main Results:

• Achieved a limit of detection of 3.1 pM (1.3 ng L^-1) for PFAS.
• Provided reliable results within 15 minutes.
• Demonstrated high selectivity for structurally related PFAS and robustness against common environmental interferents.
• Validated the sensor in various water matrices (drinking, lake, river) with high recovery rates (95.0-107.1%).

Conclusions:

• The developed sensor offers a simple, cost-effective, and portable solution for ultratrace PFAS detection.
• This technology supports rapid, on-site environmental monitoring and compliance screening of PFAS in diverse water sources.
• The molecular imprinting approach provides high specificity and sensitivity for PFAS analysis.