Molecularly Imprinted Drug Carrier for Lamotrigine-Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Physicochemical Parameters.

This study presents the initial attempt at introducing a magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) designed specifically for lamotrigine with the purpose of functioning as a drug carrier. First, the composition of the magnetic polymer underwent optimization based on bulk polymer adsorption studies and theoretical analyses. The magnetic MIP was synthesized from itaconic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate exhibiting a drug loading capacity of 3.4 ± 0.9 µg g-1. Structural characterization was performed using powder X-ray diffraction analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The resulting MIP demonstrated controlled drug released characteristics without a burst effect in the phospahe buffer saline at pH 5 and 8. These findings hold promise for the potential nasal administration of lamotrigine in future applications.

Development of a simple polymer-based sensor for detection of the Pirimicarb pesticide.

In this study, a sensitive and selective fluorescent chemosensor was developed for the determination of pirimicarb pesticide by adopting the surface molecular imprinting approach. The magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanocomposite was prepared using pirimicarb as the template molecule, CuFe2O4 nanoparticles, and graphene quantum dots as a fluorophore (MIP-CuFe2O4/GQDs). It was then characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The response surface methodology (RSM) was also employed to optimize and estimate the effective parameters of pirimicarb adsorption by this polymer. According to the experimental results, the average particle size and imprinting factor (IF) of this polymer are 53.61 nm and 2.48, respectively. Moreover, this polymer has an excellent ability to adsorb pirimicarb with a removal percentage of 99.92 at pH = 7.54, initial pirimicarb concentration = 10.17 mg/L, polymer dosage = 840 mg/L, and contact time = 6.15 min. The detection of pirimicarb was performed by fluorescence spectroscopy at a concentration range of 0-50 mg/L, and a sensitivity of 15.808 a.u/mg and a limit of detection of 1.79 mg/L were obtained. Real samples with RSD less than 2 were measured using this chemosensor. Besides, the proposed chemosensor demonstrated remarkable selectivity by checking some other insecticides with similar and different molecular structures to pirimicarb, such as diazinon, deltamethrin, and chlorpyrifos.

Cell-penetrating protein-recognizing polymeric nanoparticles through dynamic covalent chemistry and double imprinting.

Molecular recognition of proteins is key to their biological functions and processes such as protein-protein interactions (PPIs). The large binding interface involved and an often relatively flat binding surface make the development of selective protein-binding materials extremely challenging. A general method is reported in this work to construct protein-binding polymeric nanoparticles from cross-linked surfactant micelles. Preparation involves first dynamic covalent chemistry that encodes signature surface lysines on a protein template. A double molecular imprinting procedure fixes the binding groups on the nanoparticle for these lysine groups, meanwhile creating a binding interface complementary to the protein in size, shape, and distribution of acidic groups on the surface. These water-soluble nanoparticles possess excellent specificities for target proteins and sufficient affinities to inhibit natural PPIs such as those between cytochrome c (Cytc) and cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). With the ability to enter cells through a combination of energy-dependent and -independent pathways, they intervene apoptosis by inhibiting the PPI between Cytc and the apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (APAF1). Generality of the preparation and the excellent molecular recognition of the materials have the potential to make them powerful tools to probe protein functions in vitro and in cellulo.

Conjugated molecularly imprinted polymers based on covalent organic frameworks: Fluorescent sensing platform for specific capture of urea and elimination of ethyl carbamate.

This study described the preparation of an azide covalent organic framework-embedded molecularly imprinted polymers (COFs(azide)@MIPs) platform for urea adsorption and indirect ethyl carbamate (EC) removal from Chinese yellow rice wine (Huangjiu). By modifying the pore surface of COFs using the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction, COFs(azide) with a high fluorescence quantum yield and particular recognition ability were inventively produced. In order to selectively trap urea, the COFs(azide) were encased in an imprinted shell layer via imprinting technology. With a detection limit (LOD) of 0.016 µg L-1 (R2 = 0.9874), the COFs(azides)@MIPs demonstrated a good linear relationship with urea in the linear range of 0-5 µg L-1. Using real Huangjiu samples, the spiking recovery trials showed the viability of this sensing platform with recoveries ranging from 88.44 % to 109.26 % and an RSD of less than 3.40 %. The Huangjiu processing model system achieved 38.93 % EC reduction by COFs(azides)@MIPs. This research will open up new avenues for the treatment of health problems associated with fermented alcoholic beverages, particularly Huangjiu, while also capturing and removing hazards coming from food.

SERS biosensor with plastic antibodies for detection of a cancer biomarker protein.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful method for detecting breast cancer-specific biomarkers due to its extraordinary enhancement effects obtained by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in metallic nanostructures at hotspots. In this research, gold nanostars (AuNSs) were used as SERS probes to detect a cancer biomarker at very low concentrations. To this end, we combined molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as a detection layer with SERS for the detection of the biomarker CA 15-3 in point-of-care (PoC) analysis. This required two main steps: (i) the deposition of MIPs on a gold electrode, followed by a second step (ii) antibody binding with AuNSs containing a suitable Raman reporter to enhance Raman signaling (SERS). The MPan sensor was prepared by electropolymerization of the monomer aniline in the presence of CA 15-3. The template molecule was then extracted from the polymer using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). In parallel, a control material was prepared in the absence of the protein (NPan). Surface modification for the control was performed using electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The performance of the sensor was evaluated using the SERS technique, in which the MPan sensor is first incubated with the protein and then exposed to the SERS probe. Under optimized conditions, the device showed a linear response to CA 15-3 concentrations from 0.016 to 248.51 U mL-1 in a PBS buffer at pH 7.4 in 1000-fold diluted serum. Overall, this approach demonstrates the potential of SERS as an optical reader and opens a new avenue for biosensing applications.

A novel molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor from poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/chitosan for selective and sensitive detection of levofloxacin.

The improper usage of levofloxacin (LEV) endangers both environmental safety and human public health. Therefore, trace analysis and detection of LEV have extraordinary significance. In this paper, a novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrochemical sensor was developed for the specific determination of LEV by electrochemical polymerization of o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/chitosan (PEDOT/CS) with a porous structure and rich functional groups as a carrier and LEV as a template molecule. The morphology, structure and properties of the modified materials were analyzed and studied. The result showed that the electron transfer rate and the electroactive strength of the electrode surface are greatly improved by the interconnection of PEDOT and CS. Meanwhile, PEDOT/CS was assembled by imprinting with o-PD through non-covalent bonding, which offered more specific recognition sites and a larger surface area for the detection of LEV and effectively attracted LEV through intermolecular association. Under the optimized conditions, MIP/PEDOT/CS/GCE showed good detection performance for LEV in a wide linear range of 0.0019- 1000 µM, with a limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) of 0.4 nM. Furthermore, the sensor has good stability and selectivity, and exhibits excellent capabilities in the microanalysis of various real samples.

Preparation of surface molecularly imprinted polymers with Fe3O4/ZIF-8 as carrier for detection of Dimethoate in cabbage.

In this study, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were prepared for the specific recognition of organophosphorus pesticides and a rapid, efficient and simple method was established for the detection of dimethoate (DIT) in food samples. Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation, and Fe3O4/ZIF-8 complexes were prepared by a modified in-situ polymerization method, and then magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) were prepared and synthetic route was optimized by applying density functional theory (DFT). The morphological characterization showed that the MMIPs were coarse porous spheres with an average particle size of 50 nm. The synthesized materials are highly selective for the organophosphorus pesticide dimethoate with an adsorption capacity of 461.50 mg·g-1 and are effective resistance to matrix effects. A novel method for the determination of DIT in cabbage was developed using the prepared MMIPs in combination with HPLC. The practical results showed that the method can meet the requirements for the determination of DIT in cabbage with recoveries of 85.6-121.1 % and detection limits of 0.033 µg·kg-1.

The preparation of a boronate affinity-based controlled oriented imprinting coating on a silica nanoparticle surface for the separation and purification of shikimic acid in herbal medicine.

Shikimic acid (SA) is one of the most effective drugs against the A (H1N1) virus and has high medicinal value. Additionally, it has the ability to generate non-toxic herbicides and antimicrobial medications. The extraction from plants has proven to be the main route of production of SA with economic benefits and environmental efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to perform purification of SA from these herbal medicines before quantifying it. In this study, researchers employed a boronate affinity-based controlled oriented surface imprinting technique to produce molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as highly effective solid phase extraction (SPE) adsorbents for the isolation and purification of SA. 3-Fluoro-4-formylphenylboronic acid functionalized silica nanoparticles were used as supporting materials for immobilizing SA. Poly(2-anilinoethanol) with a higher hydrophilic domain can be used as an effective imprinting coating. The prepared SA-imprinted silica nanoparticles exhibited several significant results, such as good specificity, high binding capacity (39.06 ± 2.24 mg g-1), moderate binding constant (6.61 × 10-4 M-1), fast kinetics (8 min) and low binding pH (pH 5.0) toward SA. The replication of SA-imprinted silica nanoparticles was deemed satisfactory. The SA-imprinted silica nanoparticles could be still reused after seven adsorption-desorption cycles, which indicated high chemical stability. In addition, the recoveries of the proposed method for SA at three spiked level analysis in star aniseed and meadow cranesbill were 96.2% to 109.0% and 91.6% to 103.5%, respectively. The SA-imprinted silica nanoparticles that have been prepared are capable of identifying the target SA in real herbal medicines. Our approach makes sample pre-preparation simple, fast, selective and efficient.

In situ detection of dopamine in single living cells by molecularly imprinted polymer-functionalized nanoelectrodes.

In situ detection of dopamine (DA) at single-cell level is critical for exploring neurotransmitter-related biological processes and diseases. However, the low content of DA and a variety of distractors with similar oxidation potentials as DA in cells brought great challenges. Here, a sensitive and specific electrochemical nanosensor was proposed for in situ detection of DA in single living cells based on nanodiamond (ND) and molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-functionalized carbon fiber nanoelectrode (ND/MIP/CFNE). Due to its excellent electrocatalytic property, ND was modified to the surface of CFNE based on amide bonding. Compared with bare CFNE, ND-modified CFNE can enhance oxidation currents of DA by about 4-fold, improving signal-to-noise ratio and detection sensitivity. MIP was further electropolymerized on the surface of nanoelectrodes to achieve specific capture and recognition of DA, which could avoid the interference of complex matrix and analogs in cells. Taking advantage of the precise positioning capability of a single-cell analyzer and micromanipulator, ND/MIP/CFNE could be precisely inserted into different locations of single cells and monitor oxidation signal of DA. The concentration of DA in the cytoplasm of single pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell was measured to be about 0.4 µM, providing a sensitive and powerful method for single-cell detection. Furthermore, the nanoelectrodes can monitor the fluctuation of intracellular DA under drug stimulation, providing new ideas and methods for new drug development and efficacy evaluation.

Facile fabricate sandwich-structured molecularly imprinted dopamine polymer for simultaneously specific capture of Low-density lipoprotein and eliminate "bad cholesterol".

A simplified approach for preparation of sandwich type molecularly imprinted polymers (PPDA-MIPs) is proposed for simultaneously identify Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and dispose "bad cholesterol". Porous polydopamine nanosphere (PPDA) is applied as a matrix for immobilization of LDL, and the imprinted layer is formed by dopamine acting as a functional monomer. Since imprinted cavities exhibit shape memory effects in terms of recognizing selectivity, the PPDA-MIPs exhibit excellent selectivity toward LDL and a substantial binding capacity of 550.3 µg mg-1. Meanwhile, six adsorption/desorption cycles later, the adsorption efficiency of 83.09 % is still achieved, indicating the adequate stability and reusability of PPDA-MIPs. Additionally, over 80 % of cholesterol is recovered, indicating the completeness of "bad cholesterol" removal in LDL. Lastly, as demonstrated by gel electrophoresis, PPDA-MIPs performed satisfactory behavior for the removal of LDL from the goat serum sample.

A novel fluorescent probe based imprinted polymer-coated magnetite for the detection of imatinib leukemia anti-cancer drug traces in human plasma samples.

Myeloid leukemia is a chronic cancer, which associated with abnormal BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase activity. Imatinib (IMB) acts as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and averts tumor growth in cancer cells by controlling cell division, so it is urgent to develop an effective assay to detect and monitor its IMB concentration. Therefore, an innovative fluorescent biomimetic sensor is a promising sensing material that constructed for the efficient recognition of IMB and displays excellent selectivity and sensitivity stemming from molecularly imprinted polymer@Fe3O4 (MIP@Fe3O4). The detection strategy depends on the recognition of IMB molecules at the imprinted sites in the presence of coexisting molecules, which are then transferred to the fluorescence signal. The synthesized MIP@Fe3O4 was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, computational studies of the band gap (EHOMO-ELUMO) of the monomers, IMB, and their complexes were performed. These results confirmed that the copolymer is the most appropriate and has high stability (Binding energy; 0.004 x 10-19 KJ) and low reactivity. A comprehensive linear response over IMB concentrations from 5 × 10-6 mol/L to 8 × 10-4 mol/L with a low detection limit of 9.3 × 10-7 mol/L was achieved. Furthermore, the proposed technique displayed long-term stability (over 2 months), high intermediate precision (RSD<2.1 %), good reproducibility (RSD <1.9 %), and outstanding selectivity toward IMB over analogous molecules with similar chemical and spatial structure (no interference by 100 to 150-fold of the competitors). Owing to these merits, the proposed fluorescence sensor was utilized to detect IMB in drug tablets and human plasma, and satisfactory results (99.3-100.4 %) were obtained. Thus, the synthesized fluorescence sensor is a promising platform for IMB sensing in various applications.

Fe3O4/biochar modified with molecularly imprinted polymer as efficient persulfate activator for salicylic acid removal from wastewater: Performance and specific recognition mechanism.

In this study, a novel Fe3O4-based biochar coupled surface-imprinted polymer was constructed via simple hydrothermal route for salicylic acid recognition and degradation in advanced oxidation processes. The material exhibited excellent adsorption capability, up to 118.23 mg g-1, and efficient degradation performance, 87.44% removal rate within 240 min, based on integrating the advantages of both huge specific surface area as well as abundant functional groups from biochars and specific recognition sites from imprinted cavities. Moreover, high selectivity coefficient (11.67) showed stable recognition in single and binary systems. SO4•- and •OH were confirmed as reactive oxygen species in catalytic reaction according to quenching experiments and EPR analysis. The degradation mechanism and pathway were unraveled by DFT calculations and LC-MS. Furthermore, the results of toxicity evaluation, stability and reusability demonstrated application potential in the field of water environment restoration. This study confirmed that molecular imprinting provided a promising solution to targeted removal of emerging environmental pollutants by degrading after the enrichment of pollutants to the composites surface.

Molecularly imprinted polymers for sensing/depleting human serum albumin (HSA): A critical review of recent advances and current challenges.

Human serum albumin (HSA) is an essential biomacromolecule in the blood circulatory system because it carries numerous molecules, including fatty acids (FAs), bilirubin, metal ions, hormones, and different pharmaceuticals, and plays a significant role in regulating blood osmotic pressure. Fluctuations in HSA levels in human biofluids, particularly urine and serum, are associated with several disorders, such as elevated blood pressure, diabetes mellitus (DM), liver dysfunction, and a wide range of renal diseases. Thus, the ability to quickly and accurately measure HSA levels is important for the rapid identification of these disorders in human populations. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), well known as artificial antibodies (Abs), have been extensively used for the quantitative detection of small molecules and macromolecules, especially HSA, in recent decades. This review highlights major challenges and recent developments in the application of MIPs to detect HSA in artificial and real samples. The fabrication and application of various MIPs for the depletion of HSA are also discussed, as well as different MIP preparation approaches and strategies for overcoming obstacles that hinder the development of MIPs with high efficiency and recognition capability for HSA determination/depletion.

Ultrasensitive, Label-Free Voltammetric Detection of Dibutyl Phthalate Based on Poly-l-lysine/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-porous Graphene Nanocomposite and Molecularly Imprinted Polymers.

Development of an efficient technique for accurate and sensitive dibutyl phthalate (DBP) determination is crucial for food safety and environment protection. An ultrasensitive molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) voltammetric sensor was herein engineered for the specific determination of DBP using poly-l-lysine/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/porous graphene nanocomposite (PLL/PEDOT-PG) and poly(o-phenylenediamine)-imprinted film as a label-free and sensing platform. Fabrication of PEDOT-PG nanocomposites was achieved through a simple liquid-liquid interfacial polymerization. Subsequently, poly-l-lysine (PLL) functionalization was employed to enhance the dispersibility and stability of the prepared PEDOT-PG, as well as promote its adhesion on the sensor surface. In the presence of DBP, the imprinted poly(o-phenylenediamine) film was formed on the surface of PLL/PEDOT-PG. Investigation of the physical properties and electrochemical behavior of the MIP/PLL/PEDOT-PG indicates that the incorporation of PG into PEDOT, with PLL uniformly wrapping its surface, significantly enhanced conductivity, carrier mobility, stability, and provided a larger surface area for specific recognition sites. Under optimal experimental conditions, the electrochemical response exhibited a linear relationship with a logarithm of DBP concentration within the range of 1 fM to 5 µM, with the detection limit as low as 0.88 fM. The method demonstrated exceptional stability and repeatability and has been successfully applied to quantify DBP in plastic packaging materials.

Development of Highly Sensitive Fluorescent Sensors for Separation-Free Detection and Quantitation Systems of Pepsin Enzyme Applying a Structure-Guided Approach.

Two fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were developed for pepsin enzyme utilising fluorescein and rhodamine b. The main difference between both dyes is the presence of two (diethylamino) groups in the structure of rhodamine b. Consequently, we wanted to investigate the effect of these functional groups on the selectivity and sensitivity of the resulting MIPs. Therefore, two silica-based MIPs for pepsin enzyme were developed using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as a functional monomer and tetraethyl orthosilicate as a crosslinker to achieve a one-pot synthesis. Results of our study revealed that rhodamine b dyed MIPs (RMIPs) showed stronger binding, indicated by a higher binding capacity value of 256 mg g-1 compared to 217 mg g-1 for fluorescein dyed MIPs (FMIPs). Moreover, RMIPs showed superior sensitivity in the detection and quantitation of pepsin with a linear range from 0.28 to 42.85 µmol L-1 and a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.11 µmol L-1. In contrast, FMIPs covered a narrower range from 0.71 to 35.71 µmol L-1, and the LOD value reached 0.34 µmol L-1, which is three times less sensitive than RMIPs. Finally, the developed FMIPs and RMIPs were applied to a separation-free quantification system for pepsin in saliva samples without interference from any cross-reactors.

Oriented docking of the template for improved imprinting efficiency toward peptide with modifications.

Molecular imprinting polymers (MIPs) are synthetic receptors as biomimetic materials for various applications ranging from sensing to separation and catalysis. However, currently existing MIPs are stuck to some of the issues including the longer preparation steps and poor performance. In this report, a facile and one-pot strategy by integrating the in-situ growth of magnetic nanoparticles and reversed phase microemulsion oriented molecularly imprinting strategy to develop magnetic molecular imprinted nanocomposites was proposed. Through self-assembling of the template, it brought up highly ordered and uniform arrangement of the imprinting structure, which offered faster adsorption kinetic as adsorption equilibrium was achived within 15 min, higher adsorption capacity (Qmax = 48.78 ± 1.54 µmol/g) and high affinity (Kd = 127.63 ± 9.66 µM) toward paradigm molecule-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) compared to the conventional bulk imprinting. The developed MIPs offered better affinity and superior specificity which allowed the specific enrichment toward targeted phosphorylated peptides from complex samples containing 100-fold more abundant interfering peptides. Interestingly, different types of MIPs can be developed which could targetly enrich the specific phosphorylated peptides for mass spectrometry analysis by simply switching the templates, and this strategy also successfully achieved imprinting of macromolecular peptides. Collectively, the approach showed broad applicability to target specific enrichment from metabolites to phosphorylated peptides and providing an alternative choice for selective recognition and analysis from complex biological systems.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction based on restricted-access molecularly imprinted polymers for ultrarapid determination of ractopamine residues from food samples by capillary electrophoresis.

An ultrafast, efficient, and eco-friendly method combining magnetic solid phase extraction and capillary electrophoresis with diode array detection have been developed to determine ractopamine residues in food samples. A restricted access material based on magnetic and mesoporous molecularly imprinted polymer has been properly synthesized and characterized, demonstrating excellent selectivity and high adsorbent capacity. Short-end injection capillary electrophoresis method was optimized: 75 mM triethylamine pH 7 as BGE, -20 kV, 50 mbar by hydrodynamic injection during 8 s, and capillary temperature at 25 °C; reaching ultrafast ractopamine analysis (∼0.6 min) with good peak asymmetry, and free from interfering and/or baseline noise. After sample preparation optimization, the conditions were: 1000 µL of sample at pH 6, 20 mg of adsorbent, stirring time of 120 s, 250 µL of ultrapure water as washing solvent, 1000 µL of methanol: acetic acid (7: 3, v/v) as eluent, and the adsorbent can be reused four times. In these conditions, the analytical method showed recoveries around to 100 %, linearity ranged from 9.74 to 974.0 µg kg-1, correlation coefficient (r) ≥ 0,99 in addition to adequate precision, accuracy, and robustness. After proper validation, the method was successfully applied in the analysis ractopamine residues in bovine milk and bovine and porcine muscle.

Novel approach over template molecule elimination in molecularly imprinted polymers by using heat activated persulfate.

This study proposes a new alternative for template removal from molecularly imprinted polymers by heat activated persulfate. It is known that trace amounts of template molecule remains in the polymer network after extraction by current methodologies leading to bleeding and incomplete removal of template which could compromise final determination of target analytes especially in trace analysis. A previously developed molecularly imprinted polymer specially designed for Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) extraction was employed as a model to test this template elimination approach. This polymer is based on methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate as monomers and Coenzyme Q0 as template. This coenzyme has the same quinone group as the CoQ10. Selectivity was analyzed comparing the recovery of CoQ10 and ubichromenol, a CoQ10 related substance. Chemical degradation using heat-activated persulfate allows the elimination of the template molecule with a high level of efficiency, being a simple and ecological methodology, yielding a polymer that exhibits comparable selectivity and imprinting effect with respect to traditional extraction methods.

Renin imprinted Poly(methyldopa) for biomarker detection and disease therapy.

Conventional molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) perform their functions principally depended on their three dimensional (3D) imprinted cavities (recognition sites) of templates. Here, retaining the function of recognition sites resulted from the imprinting of template molecules, the role of functional monomers is explored and expanded. Briefly, a class of dual-functional renin imprinted poly(methyldopa) (RMIP) is prepared, consisting of a drug-type function monomer (methyldopa, clinical high blood pressure drug) and a corresponding disease biomarker (renin, biomarker for high blood pressure disease). To boost target-to-receptor binding ratio and sensitivity, the microstructure of recognition sites is beforehand calculated and designed by Density Functional Theory calculations, and the whole interfacial structure, property and thickness of RMIP film is regulated by adjusting the polymerization techniques. The dual-functional applications of RMIP for biomarker detection and disease therapy in vivo is explored. Such RMIP-based biosensors achieves highly sensitive biomarker detection, where the LODs reaches down to 1.31 × 10-6 and 1.26 × 10-6 ng mL-1 for electrochemical and chemical polymers, respectively, and the application for disease therapy in vivo has been verified where displays the obviously decreased blood pressure values of mice. No acute and long-term toxicity is found from the pathological slices, declaring the promising clinical application potential of such engineered RMIP nanostructure.

Development of a selective electrochemical microsensor based on molecularly imprinted polydopamine/ZIF-67/laser-induced graphene for point-of-care determination of 3-nitrotyrosine.

3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) is a biomarker closely associated with the early diagnosis of oxidative stress-related disorders. The development of an accurate, cost-effective, point-of-care 3-NT sensor holds significant importance for self-monitoring and clinical treatment. In this study, a selective, sensitive, and portable molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor was developed. ZIF-67 with strong adsorption capacity was facilely modified on an electrochemically active laser-induced graphene (LIG) substrate (formed ZIF-67/LIG). Subsequently, biocompatible dopamine was chosen as the functional monomer, and interference-free ʟ-tyrosine was used as the dummy template to create molecularly imprinted polydopamine (MIPDA) on the ZIF-67/LIG, endowing the sensor with selectivity. The morphologies, electrochemical properties, and detection performance of the sensor were comprehensively investigated using scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltammetry. To achieve the best performance, several parameters were optimized, including the number of polymerization cycles (15), elution time (60 min), incubation time (7 min), and pH of the buffer solution (6). The turnaround time for this sensor is 10 min. Benefiting from the alliance of MIPDA, ZIF-67, and LIG, the sensor exhibited excellent sensitivity with a detection limit of 6.71 nM, and distinguished selectivity against 11 interfering substances. To enable convenient clinical diagnosis, a customized electrochemical microsensor with MIPDA/ZIF-67/LIG was designed, showcasing excellent reliability and convenience in detecting biological samples without pretreatment. The proposed microsensor will not only facilitate clinical diagnosis and improve patient care, but also provide inspiration for the development of other portable and accurate electrochemical biosensors.