Development of highly sensitive and selective sensor for ethionamide guided by molecular modelling via electropolymerized molecularly imprinted films

Here, a selective sensing technology for the drug ethionamide used to treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is developed based on molecular imprinting. The molecular imprinting matrix is developed strategically by molecular modelling via density functional theory. 3-Thiophene acetic acid was predicted as suitable functional monomer for imprinting ethionamide. Polymeric film was formed on the surface of glassy carbon electrode by electropolymerization of 3-thiophene acetic acid in presence of ethionamide as template by cyclic voltammetry. The obtained sensor was highly selective towards analyte ethionamide and the recognition was quantified by differential pulse voltammetric experiments of ethionamide molecule. A highly selective (imprinting factor: 8.92) and sensitive (limit of detection: 0.005 mu g/mL) molecularly imprinted sensor with good reproducible behaviour (R-2 = 0.9882, RSD 2.68%) was fabricated.