Molecularly Imprinted Plasmonic-Based Sensors for Environmental Contaminants—Current State and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The increase of production and consumption persistently introduce different pollutants into the environment. The constant development and improvement of analytical methods for tracking environmental contaminants are essential. The demand for high sample throughput analysis has hit the spotlight for developing selective sensors to avoid time-consuming sample preparation techniques. In addition, the sensor’s sensitivity should satisfy the rigorous demands of harmful compound tracking. Molecularly imprinted plasmonic-based sensors are excellent candidates to overcome selectivity and sensitivity issues. Molecularly imprinted polymers are robust, stable in aqueous and organic solvents, stable at extreme pHs and temperatures, and include a low-cost synthesis procedure. Combined with plasmonic-based techniques, they are the perspective choice for applications in the field of environmental protection. Plasmonic-based sensors offer a lower limit of detection, a broad linearity range, high sensitivity, and high selectivity compared to other detection techniques. This review outlines the optical plasmonic detection of different environmental contaminants with molecularly imprinted polymers as sensing elements. The main focus is on the environmental pollutants affecting human and animal health, such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, hormones, microorganisms, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dyes, and metal particles. Although molecularly imprinted plasmonic-based sensors currently have their application mostly in the biomedical field, we are eager to point them out as a highly prospective solution for many environmental problems.

Carbon Materials for Organophosphate Pesticide Sensing

“…Still, there are some important limitations of MIPs for electrochemical detection. These polymers are sometimes also electrochemically active, and their signal could mask the signal from the analyte [153]. Besides, the possibility of irreversible electrochemical transformations of polymers and their pH sensitivity is an important issue [85].…”

“…There is no interference issue, so the preparation of the sample is easy. In some cases, it is possible to detect a single molecule [153].…”

Metals on the Menu—Analyzing the Presence, Importance, and Consequences

“…Metals are omnipresent in our environment, finding their way into the food we consume through various natural and anthropogenic pathways [ 1 , 2 ]. Food is the major source of exposure to both essential and nonessential metals [ 3 , 4 ].…”

Electrospun Nanofibers as Chemosensors for Detecting Environmental Pollutants: A Review

“…These materials can significantly improve the sensors in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, response time, multi-channel detection capabilities, and portability. Researchers have also successfully designed sensors that depend on different light signal transduction systems [40,45,[52][53][54][55][56]. Nanofibers (NFs) can be applied not only to electrochemical sensors but also to optical sensors.…”