(295a) Monitoring Electropolymerization Polymer Thickness with Various Monomers for Optimized Biosensor Design

Molecularly imprinted polymer-based biosensors (MIPs) serve as synthetic substitutes for conventional enzyme and antibody-based sensing platforms. Using cyclic voltammetric electropolymerization, these biosensors can be directly fabricated onto transducer surfaces, simplifying the sensor design process. Despite their practicality, optimizing these sensors typically relies on trial-and-error univarient methods without a thorough understanding of the underlying polymerization principles. This research investigates the use of electropolymerization (to make eMIPs) to precisely control the thickness of eMIPs. Leveraging insights from non-imprinted polymers, the study explores how varying monomers impact polymer thickness. Through control and characterization of polymer thickness using quartz crystal microbalance alongside electrochemical measurements, the goal is to gain insight into eMIP design, and ultimately improve biosensor performance.