Detection of Dopamine by a Biomimetic Electrochemical Sensor Based on Polythioaniline-Bridged Gold Nanoparticles

A new biomimetic electrochemical sensor was developed for the detection of dopamine based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with electrochemically generated gold nanoparticles. The preparation of the polymer is simple and cost-effective, achieving the polymerization of thioaniline and generation of gold nanoparticles in a single step by cyclic voltammetry, in the presence of the target molecule, dopamine. After extraction, the imprinted polymer exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity for dopamine. Moreover, the developed imprinted polymer film allows the fast, direct detection of dopamine without the need of a redox mediator. The formation of a self-assembled monolayer of the monomer prior to electropolymerization ensures the adherence of the film onto the electrode surface, conferring good stability to the sensor ( over two weeks). Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used for the complete characterization of the developed sensor, and differential pulse voltammetry was used for its testing.