Prime importance of the supporting electrolyte in the realization of molecularly imprinted polymers

Abstract

This study concerns the highlighting of the role of supporting electrolyte in the realization of stable and reproducible molecular imprinted polymer (MIP), as it isone of the key element which can affect the MIP's morphology, and thus the corresponding electrochemical's response. Here we have designed a MIP with pyrrole, as functional monomer, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) as template. Several electrolytes were tested at a fixed concentration of 0,16 M: phosphate buffer solution (PBS), NaCl, KCl and LiClO4in PBS solutions. Square wave voltammetry was investigated to get information about the most appropriate electrolyte.The follow up of variations of PSA peak currents indicates that the MIPs realized in LiClO4 give the better electrochemical response. The morphological analyses of the electropolymerized MIPs,investigated with atomic force microscopy, confirm the electrochemical results and permitted to highlightthe role ofanions and cations in MIP's design.