Abstract:

In this experiment, molecularly imprinting polymers (MIP) electrodes with specific recognition ability of bisphenol A (BPA) were prepared by electropolymerization method. O-phenylenediamine was used as the polymeric monomer and BPA as the target molecule. The MIP electrodes were characterized by differential pulse voltammetry and quartz crystal microbalance. Results showed that the electrodes had highly specific recognition ability for BPA. In comparison with the non-imprinting polymers electrode, the recognition ability of MIP was improved by one order of magnitude. 100-fold concentration of atrazine or 17β-estradiol only altered the signal by one-tenth, indicating high selectivity of BPA-MIP electrode in complex matrix. In addition, this experimental design allows flexible target selection. Therefore, after changing the target molecules, the similar MIP electrode could be also successfully prepared by the same method. This experiment allows students to design experiments by themselves. And students can gain an in-depth understanding of the interaction between molecules, and experience the process of designing materials at the molecular level.

Key words: Experimental design, Molecularly imprinting, Electrodes, Electropolymerization, Specificity