1,3,5-Trinitrotoluene detection by a molecularly imprinted polymer sensor based on electropolymerization of a microporous-metal-organic framework

• The MIP microporous-metal-organic framework is formed via electropolymerization.
• The MIP and NIP microporous-metal-organic framework are characterized by AFM and CV.
• The MIP sensor was characterized by linear sweep voltammetry.
• A linear response was obtained in the range of 4.4 fM to 44 nM of trinitrotoluene.
• The detection of TNT is performed in complex matrices, such as tap and natural waters.

An electrochemical sensor based on a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) non-covalent approach for the sensitive detection of 1,3,5-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is presented. The MIP microporous-metal-organic framework (MMOF) is formed in situ at the gold electrode surface via electropolymerization of p-aminothiophenol-functionalized gold nanoparticles in the presence of trinitrotoluene as the template molecule. The MIP sensor was characterized by linear sweep voltammetry in the presence of hexacyanoferrate/hexacyanoferrite as redox probe, and by atomic force microscopy. A linear response was obtained in the range of 4.4 fM to 44 nM, with a detection limit of 0.04 fM. The prepared molecularly imprinted polymer hybrid sensor exhibits sensitive recognition sites toward trinitrotoluene with good reproducibility and potential application for the detection of trinitrotoluene in complex matrices, such as tap and natural waters.

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