Biomimetic sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer with nitroreductase-like activity for metronidazole detection

The utility of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as electrochemical sensor often suffers from its limited catalytic efficiency. Here, we proposed an alternative approach by combining the concept of MIP with the use of mimetic enzyme. A metronidazole imprinted polymer with nitroreductase-like activity was successfully achieved via an electrochemical method, where melamine served two purposes: functional monomer of MIP and component of mimetic enzyme. During the imprinting process, the redox-active center, which is responsible for catalysis, was introduced into the imprinted cavities. Accordingly, the imprinted polymer, having both catalysis centers and recognition sites, exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity and selectivity. The sensing performances of this metronidazole imprinted biomimetic sensor were evaluated in detail. Results revealed that the response to metronidazole was linear in the concentration range of 0.5-1000 μM, and the detection limit was 0.12 μM (S/N=3). In addition, we applied the proposed sensor to detect metronidazole in an injection solution and the results implied its feasibility for practical application.