Electrochemically synthesized polymers in molecular imprinting for chemical sensing

This critical review describes a class of polymers prepared by electrochemical polymerization that employs the concept of molecular imprinting for chemical sensing. The principal focus is on both conducting and nonconducting polymers prepared by electropolymerization of electroactive functional monomers, such as pristine and derivatized pyrrole, aminophenylboronic acid, thiophene, porphyrin, aniline, phenylenediamine, phenol, and thiophenol. A critical evaluation of the literature on electrosynthesized molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) applied as recognition elements of chemical sensors is presented. The aim of this review is to highlight recent achievements in analytical applications of these MIPs, including present strategies of determination of different analytes as well as identification and solutions for problems encountered

Polymers imprinted with three REG1B peptides for electrochemical determination of Regenerating Protein 1B, a urinary biomarker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Three peptides (each containing 13–18 amino acids) were synthesized and used as templates for molecular imprinting and epitope recognition of the Regenerating Protein 1B (REG1B), which is one of the urinary biomarkers for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol)s were employed as the host for molecular imprinting of the peptides. Following their preparation, the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) were examined by cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical responses of a screen-printed gold substrate coated with the MIP were measured at a working voltage of 300 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl); the entire protein and the peptides gave similar responses at concentrations of <1.0 pg⋅mL−1, with detection limits as low as 0.1 pg⋅mL−1. Urine samples from healthy and PDAC patients were then analyzed by using this modified gold electrode, and the results are in agreement with data obtained with ELISA

Electrochemical sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers

Over the past two decades, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have attracted broad interest from scientists engaged in sensor development. This attention can be explained by the serious potential advantages of using MIPs in pi ace of natural receptors and enzymes such as their superior stability, low cost and easy preparation. This review encompasses recent achievements in molecular imprinting related to the area of sensor technology. Since electrochemical biosensors dominate the market and due to specific requirements of this journal, the emphasis of this review will be on the development of electrochemical MIP sensors. The problems associated with application of imprinted polymers in sensors are highlighted and possible solutions indicated. The commercial potential of MIP-based sensors is analyzed in the expectation that they can offer improved performance in the analytical market place.</p

Molecular imprinting: at the edge of the third millennium

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) represent a new class of materials that have artificially created receptor structures(1-3). Since their discovery in 1972, MIPs have attracted considerable interest from scientists and engineers involved with the development of chromatographic adsorbents, membranes, sensors and enzyme and receptor mimics.</p

In vitro diagnostics in diabetes: Meeting the challenge

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the world. There is a large population in the world suffering from this disease, and the healthcare costs increase every year. It is a chronic disorder resulting from insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia and has a high risk of development of complications for the eyes, kidneys, peripheral nerves, heart, and blood vessels. Quick diagnosis and early prevention are critical for the control of the disease status. Traditional biosensors such as glucose meters and glycohemoglobin test kits are widely used in vitro for this purpose because they are the two major indicators directly involved in diabetes diagnosis and long-term management. The market size and huge demand for these tests make it a model disease to develop new approaches to biosensors. In this review, we briefly summarize the principles of biosensors, the current commercial devices available for glucose and glycohemoglobin measurements, and the recent work in the area of artificial receptors and the potential for the development of new devices for diabetes specifically connected with in vitro monitoring of glucose and glycohemoglobin HbA(1c). (C) 1999 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.</p

Application of natural receptors in sensors and assays

Biosensors are analytical devices that use a biological or biologically derived material immobilized at a physicochemical transducer to measure one or more analytes. Although there are a large number of reviews on biosensors in general, there has been little systematic information. presented on the application of natural receptors in sensor technology. This perspective discusses broadly the fundamental properties of natural receptors; which make them an attractive option for use as biorecognition elements in. sensor technology. It analyses the current situation by reference to, typical examples, such as the application of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and G protein-linked receptors in affinity sensors and analyses the problems that need to be resolved prior to any commercialization of such devices.</p

Capillary electrophoresis coupled to biosensor detection

The present review highlights some modern aspects of biosensor revelation, a detection method which has already found a large number of applications in healthcare, food industry and environmental analysis. First, the concept of bio-recognition, which is at the heart of biosensor technology, is discussed, with emphasis on host-guest-like recognition mechanisms. This detection device has been successfully coupled, in its first applications, to chromatographic columns, which allow a high resolution of complex mixtures of analytes prior to interaction with the biosensing unit. The properties of the transducing elements, which should generate a signal (e.g., electrochemical, thermal, acoustic, optical) of proper intensity and of relative fast rise, are additionally evaluated and discussed. The review then focuses on potential applications of biosensing units in capillary electrophoresis (CE) devices. CE appears to be an excellent separation methodology to be coupled to biosensor detection, since it is based on miniaturized electrophoretic chambers, fast analysis times, complete automation in sample handling and data treatment and requires extremely small sample volumes. Although only a few applications of CE-based biosensors have been described up to the present, it is anticipated that this hyphenated technique could have a considerable expansion in the coming years, (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.</p

A Novel Assay Format as an Alternative to ELISA: MINA Test for Biotin

A novel abiotic assay based on biotin‐specific fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) which acted as both reporter probes and binding agents, was developed. This is a first report of an assay which, unlike ELISA, required no washing steps or addition of enzyme substrates, making it more user‐friendly. The components of the molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles assay (MINA) were assembled in microtiter plates fitted with magnetic inserts. The fluorescent nanoMIPs were bound to biotin‐conjugated magnetic particles, which were attracted to the inserts. The addition of free biotin caused a displacement of the fluorescent nanoMIPs into solution, generating a signal proportional to the concentration of biotin. The nanoMIPs had a dissociation constant (Kd) of 14 nM, allowing the assay to detect biotin at nano‐molar concentrations. The pre‐assembled assay only required the addition of the sample and measurement of the fluorescence, and it functioned well after six weeks of storage without refrigeration. The assay did not show the susceptibility to several compounds which are known to interfere with avidin and streptavidin‐based assays, such as mercaptoethanol and sugars. The protocols optimized in this work could be used to develop the abiotic assays for any other compound of interest

Repartition effect of aromatic polyaniline coatings on the separation of bioactive peptides in capillary electrophoresis

The capillary walls of fused-silica capillary electrophoresis (CE) columns were modified with a thin film of polyaniline (PANI), providing open-tubular columns with a stable coating containing aromatic groups and amine functionalities. Fast and efficient separations were observed for small bioactive peptides under acidic conditions on PANI-coated columns. The mechanism of separation is based on hydrophobic interactions between the analytes and the polymeric matrix. Good reproducibility was observed from run-to-run. Due to the simple derivatization procedure, method flexibility, the uniformity of the coating and its stability, conjugated polymers could find practical application in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) separations.</p