Synthesis and characterization of novel molecularly imprinted polymer - coated Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots for specific fluorescent recognition of cocaine

Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) material selective toward cocaine and its metabolites have been prepared and applied to cocaine (COC) and metabolites assessment by spectrofluorimetry. Ultrasound irradiation (37 kHz) was novelty used for performing the Mn-doped ZnS QDs synthesis as well as for preparing the QD based MIP-coated composite by precipitation polymerization (imprinting process). This fact allowed the synthesis to be accomplished in four hours. In addition, the use of ultrasound irradiation during MIP-QDs synthesis increased the homogeneity of the QDs size, and reduced nanoparticles agglomeration. MIP was synthesized using COC as a template molecule, ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) as a functional monomer, divinylbenzene (DVB) as a cross-linker, and 2,2ʹ-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. The fluorescence of MIP-coated QDs was quenched by the template (COC) and also by metabolites from COC such as benzoylecgonine (BZE), and ecgonine methyl ester (EME). Quenching was not observed when performing experiments with non-imprinted polymer (NIP)-coated QDs; and also, fluorescence quenching of MIP-coated QDs was not observed by other drugs of abuse and metabolites (heroin and cannabis abuse). This fact indicates that the prepared material recognize only COC (template) and metabolites.