Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Catalytic Micromotors
for Selective Protein Transport
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Abstract
We
demonstrate an attractive nanomachine “capture and transport”
target isolation strategy based on molecularly imprinted polymers
(MIPs). MIP-based catalytic microtubular engines are prepared by electropolymerization
of the outer polymeric layer in the presence of the target analyte
(template). Tailor-made selective artificial recognition sites are
thus introduced into the tubular microtransporters through complementary
nanocavities in the outer polymeric layer. The new microtransporter
concept is illustrated using bilayer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)
(PEDOT)/Pt–Ni microengines and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled
avidin (Av-FITC) as the template. The avidin-imprinted polymeric layer
selectively concentrates the fluorescent-tagged protein target onto
the moving microengine without the need for additional external functionalization,
allowing “on-the-fly” extraction and isolation of Av-FITC
from raw serum and saliva samples along with real-time visualization
of the protein loading and transport. The new micromachine–MIP-based
target isolation strategy can be extended to the capture and transport
of other important target molecules, leading toward diverse biomedical
and environmental applications