Electrochemical sensors with molecularly imprinted recognition

The electrochemical sensors with chemical recognition applied to pesticides analyses take advantage of the analytical features of the differential pulse voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry, and stripping voltammetry [26-30], which allow pesticides detection at residues levels. Current efforts are directed toward sensitivity and selectivity improvement by chemical modification of the electrode surface by molecularly imprinted polymers and micro- and nanostructured materials [31]. 

Is represented by synthetic chemical compounds able to interact by nonselective chemical bonds with the anal)d e of interest but also with chemical compounds that possess same chemical functionalities as the analyte. An alternative increasingly employed In electrochemistry is represented by a class of materials whose selectivity can be directed in the fabrication process toward the target molecule. These materials, molecularly imprinted polymers (MlPs), although they were exploited in electrochemistry for quite some time, only recently have begun to be used as the recognition element in the electrochemical sensors for the chiral discrimination of racemic compounds. 

Hu et al. reported an electrochemical sensor based on self-assembly MWCNTs-clindamycin molecularly imprinted sol-gel with a linear response ranging from 5.0 X 10 to 8.0 X 10 M, and the LOD of 2.44 X 10" M, and its application to the determination of clindamycin in human urine [422]. In another work, Zhang et al. have recently reported an assembly of molecularly imprinted sol-gel on an MWCNT modified gold electrode for the selective recognition of the same. The sensor showed a linear reponse towads the concentration of the analyte in almost the same range as the previous work (i.e., 5.0 X 10" M to 8.0 X 10" M), and the same limit of detection (i.e., 2.44 x 10 M) [393]. 

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