(365g) Electrodeposited Prussian Blue-Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Composite for Reagentless Lactate Detection

The development of sensitive, selective, and stable sensor materials for specific biomarker detection aims to contribute to self-health monitoring and management. Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) mimic natural systems such as antibodies with biomimetic recognition through polymerization in the presence of specific biomarkers. Their fabrication consists of polymerization and subsequent template removal which provides molecular cavities for detection. Electropolymerized MIPs (eMIPs) are polymerized via electrochemical methods and offer advantages of simple fabrication, quick detection and response time, and low-cost fabrication of biosensors at a reduced cost due to their inexpensive and quick fabrication methods and materials when compared to traditional antibody and enzyme based biosensors. In this work, eMIPs were prepared via electropolymerization of 3-aminophenylboronic acid (3-APBA) and pyrrole (py) with imprinted lactate molecules on the prussian-blue (PB) coated screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE). The electrode fabrication began with electrodeposition of prussian blue onto the surface as an embedded redox probe, followed by a MIP layer that both protects the PB nanoparticles and provides selective recognition for lactate molecules via the molecular imprinting sites. A major advantage of the PB nanoparticles deposited upon the surface is that it allows for reagentless analysis, where no external redox probe is required for electrochemical detection. Lactate levels were tested between 1nM and 1mM with high sensitivity and selectivity on the PB-based eMIP. Direct electrochemical detection of biomarkers through PB-based eMIPs can facilitate quicker diagnostics and enhance personal healthcare monitoring in the near future.