Thin-film electrochemical sensor for diphenylamine detection using molecularly imprinted polymers

•New voltammetric sensor for diphenylamine detection.•Thin-film miniaturized electrode modified with a molecularly imprinted polymer.•Molecularly imprinted particles anchored into an electropolymerised poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) membrane.•Analysis of diphenylamine in spiked apple juice samples.

This work reports on the development of a new voltammetric sensor for diphenylamine based on the use of a miniaturized gold electrode modified with a molecularly imprinted polymer recognition element. Molecularly imprinted particles were synthesized ex situ and further entrapped into a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polymer membrane, which was electropolymerized on the surface of the gold electrode. The thickness of the polymer layer was optimized in order to get an adequate diffusion of the target analyte and in turn to achieve an adequate charge transfer at the electrode surface. The resulting modified electrodes showed a selective response to diphenylamine and a high sensitivity compared with the bare gold electrode and the electrode modified with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and non-imprinted polymer particles. The sensor showed a linear range from 4.95 to 115 μM diphenylamine, a limit of detection of 3.9 μM and a good selectivity in the presence of other structurally related molecules. This sensor was successfully applied to the quantification of diphenylamine in spiked apple juice samples.

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