Development of novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based sensors for the sensitive and selective detection of analyte

Abstract

The increasing importance of monitoring environmental changes resulting from chemical stimuli affects various aspects of human life, including daily routines, healthcare, and manufacturing. Addressing this demand necessitates advanced sensor units with specific attributions, such as sensitivity, excellent selectivity, rapid response times, stability, and reusability. Conducting polymers (CPs) have arisen as a promising avenue in the field of sensors due to their advantages, including ease of fabrication, cost-effectiveness, lightweight, and the potential to tailor surface functional groups. However, they face challenges in sensitively detecting target molecules due to their relatively weak interaction, and achieving selectivity is a key objective. In light of these challenges, we conduct research on Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based CP sensors to achieve sensitive and selective detection of target analytes. MIPs are functional porous materials with high-affinity binding sites that closely match the dimension and functionality of the analyte. By establishing active sensing sites through covalent or non-covalent bonding between the sensing material and target molecules, we aim to mimic the biological antibodies. MIPs offer various advantages compared to antibodies, including ease of production, cost-effectiveness, reusability, and chemical stability, allowing for long-term storage at room temperature, While research on MIPs is actively conducted across various applications such as chemical and biosensors, absorbents, membranes, and catalysts, there remains a need for increased investigation on the bonding formation between functional monomers and target analytes for the construction of binding sites. However, the use of MIPs in electroanalytical methods still presents challenges such as low electrical conductivity, difficulty in immobilizing MIPs on electrode surfaces, and limited accessibility to binding sites. These limitations can be resolved by employing conducting monomers to create MIPs. Recently, molecularly imprinted conducting polymer (MICP)-based electrochemical sensors have gained significant attention due to their advantages, including simplified fabrication and immobilization, intrinsic electrical conductivity, and uniform binding sites. This review describes the advantages and issues of MICPs compared to traditional molecularly imprinted non-conducting polymers (MINPs). Significant challenges, such as reduced sensitivity and selectivity, and potential strategies to overcome these limitations are discussed for high-performance electrochemical devices. Herein, we studied bonding formation for active binding sites between functional monomers and target analytes, utilizing diverse analytes and sensing techniques.