Electrochemical sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers grafted onto gold electrodes using click chemistry

We have developed a three-step method to graft molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) thin films onto Au electrodes. In the first step, propargyl acrylate is clicked onto an azidoundecanethiol (N3(CH2)11SH)/decanethiol mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM). Then, by applying UV light (365 nm) in the presence of N,N′-methylenebis(acrylamide) (MAAM) and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the radical initiator, polymerization was carried out directly on the electrode surface in the presence of an electroactive template molecule, hydroquinone (HQ). Detection of HQ using the clicked-on MIP sensor was studied using chronoamperometry and its behavior was compared to that of a sensor prepared by drop-coating MIPs onto Au. The detection limit of the clicked-on MIP sensor for HQ was found to be 1.21 ± 0.56 μM, about four times lower than what was observed using the coated-on MIP sensor. In addition, the sensitivity of the clicked-on MIP sensor was found to be approximately three times greater than the coated-on MIP sensor. Apparent diffusion coefficients determined using chronoamperometry suggest that the improved performance is likely due to the favorable mass transfer characteristics of the clicked-on MIP sensing membrane.

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► Click chemistry was used to graft molecularly imprinted polymers onto Au electrodes.
► The detection limit of the clicked-on MIP sensor was found to be four times lower than a coated-on MIP sensor.
► The sensitivity of the clicked-on MIP sensor was three times greater than the coated-on MIP sensor.
► The improved performance arises from the favorable mass transfer characteristics of the clicked-on MIP sensing membrane.