Nguyen, V.B.C.; Reut, J.; Rappich, J.; Hinrichs, K.; Syritski, V.: Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Electrochemical Sensor for the Detection of Azoxystrobin in Aqueous Media. Polymers 16 (2024), p. 1394/1-13
10.3390/polym16101394
Open Accesn Version
Abstract:
This work presents an electrochemical sensor detecting a fungicide - azoxystrobin (AZO) in aqueous environments. This AZO-sensor utilises a thin film metal electrode (TFME) combined with the AZO-selective molecularly imprinted polymer (AZO-MIP). The AZO-MIP was directly generated on TFME through electrochemical polymerization from the solution containing two functional monomers: aniline (Ani) and m-phenylenediamine (mPD), and the template: AZO, which was afterwards removed to form AZO-selective cavities in the polymer matrix. The AZO-MIP preparation was characterised by electrochemical and ellipsometry measurements. Optimization of the synthesis parameters, including the charge density applied during electro-deposition, the monomer-to-template ratio, solution pH, and incubation time, was performed to enhance the sensor’s performance. The results demonstrated that AZO-sensor achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) of 3.6 nM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 11.8 nM in tap water, indicating their sensitivity in a complex aqueous environment. The sensor also exhibited satis-factory selectivity for AZO in both ultrapure and tap water samples, and achieved a good recovery (94-119%) for the target analyte. This study highlights the potential of MIP-based electrochemical sensors for rapid and accurate detection of fungicide contaminants in water, contributing to the advancement of analytical tools for water quality monitoring and risk assessment.