Development of surface imprinted nanospheres using the inverse suspension polymerization method for electrochemical ultra sensing of dacarbazine

In situ synthesis and dynamic simulation of molecularly imprinted polymeric nanoparticles on a micro-reactor system

Current practices in synthesizing molecularly imprinted polymers face challenges-lengthy process, low-productivity, the need for expensive and sophisticated equipment, and they cannot be controlled in situ synthesis. Herein, we present a micro-reactor for in situ and continuously synthesizing trillions of molecularly imprinted polymeric nanoparticles that contain molecular fingerprints of bovine serum albumin in a short period of time (5-30 min). Initially, we performed COMSOL simulation to analyze mixing efficiency with altering flow rates, and experimentally validated the platform for synthesizing nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 52-106 nm. Molecular interactions between monomers and protein were also examined by molecular docking and dynamics simulations. Afterwards, we benchmarked the micro-reactor parameters through dispersity and concentration of molecularly imprinted polymers using principal component analysis. Sensing assets of molecularly imprinted polymers were examined on a metamaterial sensor, resulting in 81% of precision with high selectivity (4.5 times), and three cycles of consecutive use. Overall, our micro-reactor stood out for its high productivity (48-288 times improvement in assay-time and 2 times improvement in reagent volume), enabling to produce 1.4-1.5 times more MIPs at one-single step, and continuous production compared to conventional strategy.

Bio-Inspired Imprinting Materials for Biomedical Applications

Inspired by the recognition mechanism of biological molecules, molecular imprinting techniques (MITs) are imparted with numerous merits like excellent stability, recognition specificity, adsorption properties, and easy synthesis processes, and thus broaden the avenues for convenient fabrication protocol of bio-inspired molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with desirable functions to satisfy the extensive demands of biomedical applications. Herein, the recent research progress made with respect to bio-inspired imprinting materials is discussed in this review. First, the underlying mechanism and basic components of a typical molecular imprinting procedure are briefly explored. Then, emphasis is put on the introduction of diverse MITs and novel bio-inspired imprinting materials. Following these two sections, practical applications of MIPs in the field of biomedical science are focused on. Last but not least, perspectives on the remaining challenges and future development of bio-inspired imprinting materials are presented.

Electrochemistry as a Powerful Tool for Investigations of Antineoplastic Agents: A Comprehensive Review

Cancer is most frequently treated with antineoplastic agents (ANAs) that are hazardous to patients undergoing chemotherapy and the healthcare workers who handle ANAs in the course of their duties. All aspects related to hazardous oncological drugs illustrate that the monitoring of ANAs is essential to minimize the risks associated with these drugs. Among all analytical techniques used to test ANAs, electrochemistry holds an important position. This review, for the first time, comprehensively describes the progress done in electrochemistry of ANAs by means of a variety of bare or modified (bio)sensors over the last four decades (in the period of 1982-2021). Attention is paid not only to the development of electrochemical sensing protocols of ANAs in various biological, environmental, and pharmaceutical matrices but also to achievements of electrochemical techniques in the examination of the interactions of ANAs with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), carcinogenic cells, biomimetic membranes, peptides, and enzymes. Other aspects, including the enantiopurity studies, differentiation between single-stranded and double-stranded DNA without using any label or tag, studies on ANAs degradation, and their pharmacokinetics, by means of electrochemical techniques are also commented. Finally, concluding remarks that underline the existence of a significant niche for the basic electrochemical research that should be filled in the future are presented.

Recent Developments in Voltammetric Analysis of Pharmaceuticals Using Disposable Pencil Graphite Electrodes

The even growing production of both well-known and new derivatives with pharmaceutical action involves the need for developing facile and reliable methods for the analysis of these compounds. Among the widely used instrumental techniques, the electrochemical ones are probably the simplest and the most rapid, also having good performance characteristics. However, the key tool in electroanalysis is the working electrode. Due to the inherent electrochemical and economic advantages of the pencil graphite electrode (PGE), the interest in its applicability in the analysis of different analytes has continuously increased in recent years. Thus, this paper aims to review the scientific reports published in the last 10 years on the use of the disposable eco- and user-friendly PGEs in the electroanalysis of compounds of pharmaceutical importance in different matrices. The PGE characteristics and designs (bare or modified with various types of materials), along with their applications and performance parameters (e.g., linear range, limit of detection, and reproducibility), will be discussed, and their advantages and limitations will be critically emphasized.

Molecular Imprinting: Green Perspectives and Strategies

Advances in revolutionary technologies pose new challenges for human life; in response to them, global responsibility is pushing modern technologies toward greener pathways. Molecular imprinting technology (MIT) is a multidisciplinary mimic technology simulating the specific binding principle of enzymes to substrates or antigens to antibodies; along with its rapid progress and wide applications, MIT faces the challenge of complying with green sustainable development requirements. With the identification of environmental risks associated with unsustainable MIT, a new aspect of MIT, termed green MIT, has emerged and developed. However, so far, no clear definition has been provided to appraise green MIT. Herein, the implementation process of green chemistry in MIT is demonstrated and a mnemonic device in the form of an acronym, GREENIFICATION, is proposed to present the green MIT principles. The entire greenificated imprinting process is surveyed, including element choice, polymerization implementation, energy input, imprinting strategies, waste treatment, and recovery, as well as the impacts of these processes on operator health and the environment. Moreover, assistance of upgraded instrumentation in deploying greener goals is considered. Finally, future perspectives are presented to provide a more complete picture of the greenificated MIT road map and to pave the way for further development.

Two different states conversion mechanism of the imprinting sites

Bisphenol A molecular imprinted adsorbent (BMIA) was successfully synthesized by a sol-gel process and showed a good specific binding performance in the water. The further studies showed that the mass transfer process was controlled by in-diffusion, and the synthesis conditions would effect on the amount of imprinting sites. Scatchard model analysis evidenced that the high binding affinity sites and the low binding affinity sites were both on BMIA, and the high binding affinity sites played a key role in the specific binding process. Scatchard model analysis of temperature effect experiments and dosage effect experiments proved that the specific binding sites with high binding affinity and the unexpressed specific binding sites with low binding affinity were the two different states of the imprinting binding sites. The conversion between the two different states depended on the reaction driving force, and the increasing reaction driving force would increase the number of specific binding sites. Especially, the temperature showed a linear positive correlation with the amount of specific binding sites. Finally, a possible model was put forward to explain the two different states conversion mechanism of the imprinting sites.