Combining capillary electromigration with molecular imprinting techniques towards an optimal separation and determination

Developing portable and controllable fluorescence capillary imprinted sensor for visual detection Crohn's disease biomarkers

Simultaneous detection of multiple biomarker levels is essential to improve the accuracy of early diagnosis. Introducing capillary will simplify procedure, less time, and reduce reagent consumption for point-of-care testing of biomarkers. Here, we developed a portable and controllable smartphone-integrated fluorescence capillary imprinted sensing platform for the accuracy visual detection of Crohn's disease biomarkers (lysozyme, Fe3+) using single-excitation/double-signal detection. A novel controllable capillary coating strategy was developed by static gas-driven coating method for synthesis uniform fluorescence capillary imprinted sensor (Si-CD/g-CdTe@MIP capillary sensor). When Fe3+ and lysozyme were added, the fluorescence intensity of Si-CD/g-CdTe@MIP capillary sensor was quenched at 426 nm and enhanced at 546 nm, respectively. This Si-CD/g-CdTe@MIP capillary sensor has high sensitivity and selectivity for quantification lysozyme and Fe3+ simultaneously with the detection limit of 0.098 nM and 0.20 nM, respectively. In addition, the smartphone-integrated Si-CD/g-CdTe@MIP capillary sensor was applied for the intelligent detection of lysozyme and Fe3+, in which the detection limit was calculated as 0.32 nM and 0.65 nM. The smartphone-integrated visual Si-CD/g-CdTe@MIP capillary sensor realized ultrasensitive microanalysis (18 μL/time) of biomarkers in health man and Crohn 's patients, providing a novel strategy for early diagnosis of Crohn 's disease.

Recent Developments in the Detection of Organic Contaminants Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Combined with Various Analytical Techniques

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) encompass a diverse array of polymeric matrices that exhibit the unique capacity to selectively identify a designated template molecule through specific chemical moieties. Thanks to their pivotal attributes, including exceptional selectivity, extended shelf stability, and other distinct characteristics, this class of compounds has garnered interest in the development of highly responsive sensor systems. As a result, the incorporation of MIPs in crafting distinctive sensors and analytical procedures tailored for specific analytes across various domains has increasingly become a common practice within contemporary analytical chemistry. Furthermore, the range of polymers amenable to MIP formulation significantly influences the potential utilization of both conventional and innovative analytical methodologies. This versatility expands the array of possibilities in which MIP-based sensing can be employed in recognition systems. The following review summarizes the notable progress achieved within the preceding seven-year period in employing MIP-based sensing techniques for analyte determination.

On-line preconcentration and determination of sulfadiazine in food samples using surface molecularly imprinted polymer coating by capillary electrophoresis

In this study, on-line preconcentration and selective determination of the trace sulfadiazine (SDZ) existing in milk and hen egg white samples were realized by the capillary electrophoresis using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coated capillary. The capillary coated with MIP was firstly prepared through the surface imprinted techniques, using SDZ as template molecule and dopamine as function monomer and crosslinker, and then amine-terminated poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PMOXA-NH₂) was introduced onto polydopamine layer to reduce the non-specific adsorption. Successful preparation of SDZ-MIP-PMOXA coating was verified by zeta potential, as well as water contact angle. The SDZ-MIP-PMOXA coated capillary performed well on-line preconcentration of SDZ and the obtained peak area of SDZ was 46 times higher than that one obtained in bare capillary using the same procedure. Then the proposed on-line preconcentration method was fully validated and displayed good linear behavior in the concentration from 5.0 to 100.0 ng/mL, with the limit of detection was low to 1.5 ng/mL; and this method presented excellent accuracy and robustness. The prepared SDZ-MIP-PMOXA coated capillary also showed high selectivity with the imprinting factor of 5.85 and good repeatability during five consecutive runs with the relative standard deviation value of peak area was 1.6%. At last, the application of the prepared SDZ-MIP-PMOXA coated capillary in the detection of SDZ in spiked food samples was investigated, and good recoveries of 98.7-109.3% were obtained.

Recent applications and chiral separation developments based on stationary phases in open tubular capillary electrochromatography (2019–2022)

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) plays a significant role in chiral separation via the double separation principle, partition coefficient difference between the two phases, and electroosmotic flow-driven separation. Given the distinct properties of the inner wall stationary phase (SP), the separation ability of each SP differs from one another. Particularly, it provides large room for promising applications of open tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC). We divided the OT-CEC SPs developed over the past four years into six types: ionic liquids, nanoparticle materials, microporous materials, biomaterials, non-nanopolymers, and others, to mainly introduce their characteristics in chiral drug separation. There also added a few classic SPs that occurred within ten years as supplements to enrich the features of each SP. Additionally, we discuss their applications in metabolomics, food, cosmetics, environment, and biology as analytes in addition to chiral drugs. OT-CEC plays an increasingly significant role in chiral separation and may promote the development of capillary electrophoresis (CE) combined with other instruments in recent years, such as CE with mass spectrometry (CE/MS) and CE with ultraviolet light detector (CE/UV).

In-line sample concentration in capillary electrophoresis by cyclodextrin to admicelle microextraction

Cyclodextrins (CDs) as a pseudophase in pseudophase-to-pseudophase microextraction (P²ME) in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) are proposed. In this P²ME mode called CD to admicelle ME, a long plug of dilute analyte solution prepared in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at the critical micellar concentration was injected into the capillary. This formed CTAB admicelles at the interface between the solution and the negatively charged capillary surface, where the analytes were trapped. The injection of CD solution released the admicelles and the analytes from the capillary surface due to the formation of stable CD/CTAB inclusion complexes. The analytes are concentrated at the CD front during injection and voltage separation. Various neutral CDs were found to be effective for CD to admicelle ME. To implement this in-line sample concentration technique in CZE, CD concentration, sample injection time, and sample:CD solution injection ratio were optimized. The optimized conditions for five model anionic analytes, namely, 4-bromophenol, sulindac, sulfamethizole, 4-vinylbenzoic acid, and succinylsulfathiazole, were 20 mM α-CD in 20 mM sodium tetraborate (pH 9.2) solution, sample injection time of 370 s, and CD:sample injection ratio of 1:2. The sensitivity enhancement factors (SEFs) were between 112 and 168. The SEFs of sulindac and sulfamethizole in particular were similar to previously published off-line microextraction techniques, which are typically time-consuming. The calculated values of LOQ, intra-/inter-day (n = 6/n = 10, 3 days) repeatability, and linearity (R²) of CD to admicelle ME were 0.0125-0.05 µg/mL, 1.5-4.6%, 1.8-4.8%, and ≥0.999, respectively. Finally, the potential of CD to admicelle ME to the analysis of artificial urine samples was demonstrated.

Progress in Nanomaterials-Based Enzyme and Aptamer Biosensor for the Detection of Organophosphorus Pesticides

With the improvement of people's safety awareness, the requirement of pesticide detection is gradually increasing, and many new detection methods toward Organophosphorus pesticide (OPs) has been further developed and applied. Nanomaterials-based biosensors have played an important role in the trace detection of OPs. This article mainly introduces the detection principle of enzymes and aptamers as the identification element of biosensors. Various nanomaterials (i.e., metals and metal oxides, carbon nanotubes, graphene and graphene oxide, quantum dots, metal organic frameworks, molecular imprinted polymers, etc.) possess their unique properties and play different roles in the enzyme and aptamer-based biosensors toward OPs: (a) to produce the optical or electrochemical signal; (b) as a carrier to load the enzyme or aptamer; (c) to enhance the signal response. Besides, the intelligent portable devices provide the possibility to realize the onsite and real-time detection. The limitations of some nanomaterials and the future development are discussed. Finally, the future of enzyme and aptamer-based biosensors has prospected.

A covalent organic framework for chiral capillary electrochromatography using a cyclodextrin mobile phase additive

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been recognized as promising solid phases in capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Imine-based COF-coated open-tubular CEC column (COF TpBD-coated OT column) was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), nitrogen adsorption/desorption (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller [BET]), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the column efficiency was up to 26,776 plate/m, and the thickness of stationary phase was about 6.00 μm for the column prepared under the optimal conditions. Enantioseparation of 15 kinds of the single chiral compounds (histidine, arginine, lysine, leucine, threonine, methionine, valine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid, fipronil, diclofop, imazamox, quizalofop-p, imazethapyr, and acephate) and 3 kinds of mixed amino acids racemaces (valine, methionine, and glutamic acid) were performed with three methods: capillary electrochromatography with COF TpBD-coated OT column (Method 1), CEC with COF TpBD-coated OT column as the separation channels, and capillary electrophoresis (CE) with HP-β-CD as the chiral mobile phase additive (Method 2) and CE with HP-β-CD as the chiral mobile phase additive (Method 3). Separation efficiency and chiral selectivity of Method 2 was best among the three methods. Under the optimal separation conditions of Method 2, all the enantiomers reached the baseline separation regardless of the single chiral compounds or the mixed amino acids. Relative standard deviation (RSDs) of the mean column efficiency for reproducibility and stability was in the range of 0.46-1.49%. This combination of CEC and CE has great potential for use in chiral separation.

Investigation of polyacrylamide hydrogel-based molecularly imprinted polymers using protein gel electrophoresis

In conjunction with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), molecular imprinting methods have been applied to produce a multilayer mini-slab in order to evaluate how selectively and specifically a hydrogel-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) binds bovine haemoglobin (BHb, ~64.5 kDa). A three-layer mini-slab comprising an upper and lower layer and a MIP, or a non-imprinted control polymer dispersion middle layer has been investigated. The discriminating MIP layer, also based on polyacrylamide, was able to specifically bind BHb molecules in preference to a protein similar in molecular weight such as bovine serum albumin (BSA, ~66 kDa). Protein staining allowed us to visualise the protein retention strength of the MIP layer under the influence of an electric field. This method could be applied to other proteins with implications in effective protein capture, disease diagnostics, and protein analysis.

[Advances in application of molecularly imprinted polymers to the detection of polar pesticide residues]

Polar pesticides can be primarily classified as fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides; their rich variety and low cost have led to their extensive utilization in agriculture. However, the overuse of polar pesticides can lead to environmental contamination, such as water or soil pollution, which can also increase the risk of pesticide exposure among human life directly, or indirectly through contact with animal and plant-derived food. There are considerable differences in the physical and chemical properties of polar pesticides, as well as their trace amounts in complex food and environmental samples, posing immense challenges to their accurate detection. As a kind of artificially prepared selective adsorbent, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) possess specific recognition sites complementary to template molecules in terms of the spatial structure, size, and chemical functional groups. With many advantages such as easy preparation, low cost, as well as good chemical and mechanical stability, MIPs have been widely applied in sample pretreatment and the analysis of polar pesticide residues. MIPs are typically used as adsorption materials in solid phase extraction (SPE) methods, including magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE), dispersed solid phase extraction (DSPE), and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). To rapidly detect polar pesticide residues with high sensitivity, MIPs are also used in the preparation of fluorescent sensors and electrochemical sensors. Furthermore, MIPs can be employed as the substrate in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and as the substrate for the ion source in mass spectrometry for polar pesticide residue analysis. Thus far, various molecularly imprinted materials have been reported for the efficient separation and analysis of polar pesticide residues in various complex matrices. However, there is no review that summarizes the recent advances in MIPs for the determination of polar pesticides. This review introduces imprinting strategies and polymerization methods for MIPs, and briefly summarizes some new molecular imprinting strategies and preparation technologies. The application of MIPs in recent years (particularly the last five years) to the detection of polar pesticide residues including neonicotinoids, organophosphorus, triazines, azoles, and urea is then systematically summarized. Finally, the future development direction and trends for MIPs are proposed considering existing challenges, with the aim of providing reference to guide future research on MIPs in the field of polar pesticide residue detection.

Electroanalytical profiling of cocaine samples by means of an electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymer using benzocaine as the template molecule

Cocaine samples were ‘finger-printed’ using e-MIPs, constructed on the surface of portable SPCEs. The SWV data with suitable chemometric analysis provides valuable information about the drugs’ provenience which is crucial to tackle drug traffic.

Recent Advances and Future Trends in the Detection of Contaminants by Molecularly Imprinted Polymers in Food Samples

Drug residues, organic dyes, heavy metals, and other chemical pollutants not only cause environmental pollution, but also have a serious impact on food safety. Timely and systematic summary of the latest scientific advances is of great importance for the development of new detection technologies. In particular, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can mimic antibodies, enzymes and other biological molecules to recognize, enrich, and separate contaminants, with specific recognition, selective adsorption, high affinity, and strong resistance characteristics. Therefore, MIPs have been widely used in chemical analysis, sensing, and material adsorption. In this review, we first describe the basic principles and production processes of molecularly imprinted polymers. Secondly, an overview of recent applications of molecularly imprinted polymers in sample pre-treatment, sensors, chromatographic separation, and mimetic enzymes is highlighted. Finally, a brief assessment of current technical issues and future trends in molecularly imprinted polymers is also presented.

Employing molecularly imprinted polymers in the development of electroanalytical methodologies for antibiotic determination

Antibiotics, although being amazing compounds, need to be monitored in the environment and foodstuff. This is primarily to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance that may make them ineffective. Unsurprisingly, advances in analyticalsciences that can improve their determination are appreciated. Electrochemical techniques are known for their simplicity, sensitivity, portability and low-cost; however, they are often not selective enough without recurring to a discriminating element like an antibody. Molecular imprinting technology aims to create artificial tissues mimicking antibodies named molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), these retain the advantages of selectivity but without the typical disadvantages of biological material, like limited shelf-life and high cost. This manuscript aims to review all analytical methodologies for antibiotics, using MIPs, where the detection technique is electrochemical, like differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), square-wave voltammetry (SWV) or electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). MIPs developed by electropolymerization (e-MIPs) were applied in about 60 publications and patents found in the bibliographic search, while MIPs developed by other polymerization techniques, like temperature assisted ("bulk") or photopolymerization, were limited to around 40. Published works covered the electroanalysis of a wide range of different antibiotics (β-lactams, tetracyclines, quinolones, macrolides, aminoglycosides, among other), in a wide range of matrices (food, environmental and biological).