Ginsenoside Rg3 determination using an electro-synthesized molecularly imprinted polymer on MWCNT-Ti3C2Tx nanocomposite modified electrode.

Rare ginsenoside Rg3 is a main active ingredient in ginseng, which is more easily absorbed by human body and plays its role. Determination of Rg3 in edible and medicinal samples is a key factor for quality evaluation and effective monitoring of adulteration. In this study, an electrochemical sensor was developed based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) and nanomaterial amplification. MIP was achieved by electro-polymerization with Rg3 as the template molecule and the functional monomer was o-phenylenediamine. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) nanocomposites formed an excellent porous structure, which exhibited the advantages of increasing the specific surface area and electrical conductivity. The prepared sensor presented a great linear relation of Rg3 in the range of 10-2000 µg mL-1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.34 µg mL-1. Importantly, the sensor was successfully utilized to detect ginsenoside Rg3 in different real samples.