High selectivity and sensitivity sensor based on MIP and SPR in tapered plastic optical fibers for the detection of L-nicotine

A biomimetic sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) transduction, in connection with tapered plastic optical fiber (POF), has been developed for the marker-free, direct and selective detection of low molecular weight substances. The device has been experimentally tested for L-nicotine ((-)-1-methyl-2-(3-pyridyl)pyrrolidine, MW = 162.24). The sensor system developed made the selective and fast detection of L-nicotine possible, with a low cost, easy to realize and small sample volume procedure. The sensor can discriminate between L- and D-nicotine. The linearity range was from 0 to 10(-3) M, and the sensitivity strongly depended on the characteristics of the tapered fiber, ranging from 1.3 x 10(4) nm/M, for a taper ratio 1.8, to 1.7 x 10(3) nm/M for a taper ratio 1, i.e. a not-tapered fiber. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.