This thesis investigates the development of sensing devices based on molecularly
imprinted polymers for the detection of clinically relevant analytes. Three analytes
were considered, metronidazole, creatinine and propofol.
A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was computationally designed for
metronidazole and tested using SPE techniques. This polymer was then grafted onto a
transducer surface using an immobilised initiator. Amperometric and impedance
detection of metronidazole were investigated.
The capacitive detection of creatinine was reproduced from the literature (Panasyuk-
Delaney et al., 2002) as this approach could be applied to other MIPs to form a
universal platform for sensor development. However, the sensors produced using this
methodology were difficult to reproduce and attempts to improve them were
unsuccessful. A model for capacitive electrodes was developed to explain the obtained
results.
To address the key challenges found in the aforementioned work, a dual polymerisable
monomer was used as a conductive anchor for the amperometric and impedance
detection of propofol. The developed amperometric sensors demonstrated very high
sensitivity (limit of detection was below 5 µM), although the electrodes lacked in
selectivity.
In conclusion, this thesis illustrates some of the key areas which need to be considered
in the development of MIP-based devices and investigates some innovative solutions to
these problems
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