Design and fabrication of molecularly imprinted polymer-based potentiometric sensor from the surface modified multiwalled carbon nanotube for the determination of lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane), an organochlorine pesticide

A novel potentiometric sensor with high selectivity in addition to sensitivity was developed for the determination of lindane, γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCCH), based on the modification of γ-HCCH imprinted polymer film onto the surface of Cu electrode. A multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) was grafted using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The reaction of MWCNT with GMA produces MWCNT-g-GMA and the epoxide ring present in the GMA upon reaction with allylamine produces the vinylated MWCNT (MWCNT-CH=CH2). MWCNT based imprinted polymer (MWCNT-MIP) was synthesized by means of methacrylic acid (MAA) as the monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross linker, α,α′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator and γ-HCCH, an organochlorine pesticide molecule, as the template. The optimizations of operational parameters were also done. Organized material was characterized by means of FTIR, XRD, Raman spectra and TEM analyses. The sensor responds to γ-HCCH in the range 1×10−10-1×10−3 M and the detection limit was found to be 1.0×10−10 M.