Flow through chemiluminescence sensor using molecularly imprinted polymer as recognition elements for detection of salbutamol

A novel flow through chemiluminescence (CL) sensor for detection of salbutamol based on molecularly imprinted polymer as recognition elements and the sensitization of CL reaction of luminol and ferricyanide potassium in the alkaline media has been developed. Salbutamol in the urine sample was selectively bound by the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), which was packed into the flow cell and made up of the MIP-CL flow sensor. The emerging stream of luminol and potassium ferricyanide flowed through the MIP-CL flow sensor and reacted with adsorbed salbutamol by the MIP and produced strong CL. The results demonstrated that the MIP-CL flow sensor was easily renewed and used more than 500 times. Under the optimal conditions, The relative CL intensity was linear with salbutamol concentration from 5.0 × 10−8 to 1.0 × 10−5 g/mL and with a detection limit of 1.6 × 10−8 g/mL (3σ). The relative standard deviation was 3.92% for 1.0 × 10−7 g/mL (n = 7) salbutamol. The present MIP-CL flow sensor has been successfully applied to the determination of salbutamol in athlete urine sample. The MIP-CL flow sensor also showed high sensitivity, stability and selectivity in the complex sample analysis. The CL mechanism and sensing principle were also discussed.