Atrazine sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer-modified gold electrode

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) have been elucidated to work as artificial receptors. In our present study, a MIP was applied as a molecular recognition element to a chemical sensor. We have constructed an atrazine sensor based on a MIP layer selective for atrazine and its electrochemical reduction on gold electrode. The atrazine sensor was fabricated by directly polymerizing the atrazine-imprinted polymer composed from methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate onto the surface of a gold electrode. By introducing LiCl into the MIP, atrazine was reduced below -800 mV vs Ag/AgCl reference electrode, at pH 3. The cathodic current of atrazine depended on the concentration of atrazine at the range of 1-10 muM. The sensor exhibited a selective response to atrazine. A nonimprinted polymer-modified electrode did not show selective response to atrazine, thus implying that the imprinted polymer acts as recognition element of atrazine sensor.