Nanocomposite Materials for Sensor

Manorama Singh, Vijai K Rai, Ankita Rai, Manorama Singh, Vijai K Rai, Ankita Rai

• Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
• Year: 2001
• Print ISBN: 9789815049008
• eBook ISBN: 9789815050981
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This reference reviews the reported literature on new approaches of nanocomposite material preparation and their applications in the development of physical, chemical, electrochemical, biological, fluorescence and colorimetric sensors. Sensor nanomaterials have been extensively used to amplify signals in the detection of a range of chemicals including toxic gases, biochemical nutrients, ions, explosives, pesticides and drugs to name a few. 14 chapter contributions highlight state-of-the-art sensors in recent years by outlining the synthesis, role and progress of nanocomposite materials in fabricating flexible and multifunctional sensing platforms in sensor technologies. Chapters first introduce the reader to nanocomposite materials and their role in making a wide array of sensors including metal-organic, graphene-based and polymeric sensors. The chapters then progress into applications of sensors for the detection of chemicals such as blood glucose, heavy metal and other toxic ions, hydrazine, humidity and explosive. Each chapter explains the required materials for electrodes and material components for a specific sensor platform with additional information about sample collection, threshold values and perspectives where appropriate. The book is intended as a compilation of knowledge for designing novel nanocomposite materials to be used as sensing platforms in sensor technologies. It serves as an informative resource for a broad range of readers including graduates and post-graduates, Ph. D. scholars, faculty members and professionals working in the area of material science, the healthcare industry, biological sciences, medical sciences, and environmental sciences.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) Nanocomposites–based Sensors

Juhi Srivastava¹, Meenakshi Singh^{1, *}

¹ Department of Chemistry, MMV, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, U.P., India

Abstract

Molecular recognition in biological systems drives and controls all the activities related to ‘Life.’ The accuracy, specificity, and selectivity of biological elements led to their use as biosensors for ‘sensing’. An ideal molecular recognition agent must comprise a stable, reproducible, reusable, robust, specific and preferably nonbiological material. Molecular imprinting has almost all attributes that qualify it to be an ‘ideal’ recognition agent. As a surrogate to biological receptors, synthetic MIPs have shown aspiring futuristic tools. Next-generation sensors could be visualized by a collaboration of synthetic polymers (MIPs) with innovative technologies replacing biosensors. Over the period of the last three decades, the introduction of specific binding sites within synthetic polymers by utilizing target-directed cross linking of functional monomers has attracted substantial consideration for the sake of the formation of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) based sensors. MIP seems like a reasonable tool for the creation of various sensors with broad practical relevance.

This chapter outlines the sensors prepared on nanocomposite as an imprinting matrix. Strategic planning in synthesizing these novel matrices is praiseworthy. Hopefully, such measures would bring down the economic burden by devising cheaper sensing tools, especially diagnostic kits in such pandemic times.

Keywords: Chitosan nanoparticle, Graphene, Molecularly imprinted polymer, Nanocomposite, Sensor, Starch Nanoparticle.

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^* Corresponding author Meenakshi Singh: Department of Chemistry, MMV, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, U.P., India; Email: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

In the last decade, engineered nanoparticles with diverse functionality and purpose received utmost attention from almost all affiliations of science. As the scientists worked upon them and came with novel feats and achievements regarding their design, innovative ideas popped up while working with them. Conventionally, metallic nanoparticles are favourites, followed by bimetallic, magnetic, organic, polymeric and biopolymeric particles, which have been

synthesized and explored well. Their exploration fetched varieties of characteristics, some of them unique to their class only. To employ them optimally for diverse needs, hybrid nanocomposites were also tested successfully. The typical definition of a composite is “a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials having dissimilar chemical or physical properties, merged to create a material with properties, unlike the individual elements.” So, for visualizing these ‘new’ characteristics, many attempts are made in almost all sections of science to prepare nanocomposites. They offer new applications with these hybrid materials expecting synergy between them.

In this chapter, an attempt is made to summarize the scope of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) – composites in sensing devices, especially to serve the healthcare sector of our society. To achieve this purpose, accurate detection and quantification of analytes are required in clinical analysis, biological and chemical security, environmental protection and food safety. These analyses involve a huge economic burden on our society [1^-5]. Efforts are being made to reduce this burden by designing and fabricating cost-effective arrays of sensors, sensing devices and also smart devices. Tailoring such devices needs a combined effort of interdisciplinary research and their application in ‘real’ samples.

Sensors or sensing devices, whether chemosensors or biosensors, comprise of two main units; recognition unit and transduction unit. The recognition unit predicts selectivity via chemical interactions, whereas the transduction unit transduces these interactions into analytical signals [6, 7]. Among the approaches adopted for chemosensors, molecular imprinting is one of the most aspiring and realistic approaches for fabricating synthetic receptors, which can be used as a recognition unit in chemosensors [8^-12]. Generally, MIPs in thin-film form with suitable transducers are used for the fabrication of such sensing devices for different analytes [8, 10, 13]. Commonly used transducers for the fabrication of such chemosensors are voltammetric, amperometric, peizoeletrogravimetric, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopic techniques.

MIPs are commonly used ‘recognition sites’ for chemosensing devices. Molecular imprinting has come up as an almost foolproof method for generating artificial receptors or, in other words, as chemical sensors competing with the biological analogues - biosensors. The molecular imprinting approach is able to form cavities in polymer matrices, which are the exact mirror images of analytes; thus, it is able to induce the movement of analyte molecules only towards these imprinted cavities, rather than their analogues or other structurally similar molecules. These polymers have an affinity for the original target molecules and have been used for various purposes, such as chemical separation, molecular sensors, biosensors, bioseparation and drug delivery, etc. [14, 15]. MIPs are known for their stability under ambient conditions, whether mechanical and/or chemical stability. Their purposive characteristics of selectivity, stability under ambient conditions, sturdiness and steadiness, reproducibility, reusability and specificity are instrumental for their wide applications in fields of biosensors, bioseparation, chromatography, molecular receptor and drug delivery, etc.

MIP synthesis includes the arrangement of a complex with template and useful monomers during self-organization, either by covalent or non-covalent bonds pursued by polymerization with cross linkers in an appropriate solvent (porogen). Upon complete extraction of template molecules, the specific imprints are made in the polymeric grid corresponding to format fit as a fiddle and contain properly arranged recognizing elements valuable in rebinding and consequently, after extraction of the analyte, the subsequent polymer can rebind analyte with high inclination and specificity. Rebinding of the template with imprinted polymer is made conceivable by the formation of shape-corresponding cavities inside the polymeric system. Fundamentally, an atomic memory is imprinted in polymer, or, in other words, the template is rebound specifically. A pictorial presentation of the development of MIP is shown in Fig. (1).

Fig. (1))
Schematic representation for the synthesis of MIP [12].

MIP offers the synthesis of various artificial recognition materials and they are proving themselves best suited for the development of novel synthetic receptors and biorecognition elements for environment...

Table of contents

• Welcome
• Table of Content
• Title
• BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS LTD.
• Preface
• List of Contributors
• Nanocomposites: Introduction, Structure, Properties and Preparation Methods
• Nanocomposites: A Boon To Material Sciences
• Bimetallic-Carbon Based Composites for Electrochemical Sensors
• Two-dimensional Graphene-based Nanocomposites for Electrochemical Sensor
• Conducting Polymer Based Nanocomposites for Sensing
• Nanostructured Molecularly Imprinted Polymers in Electrochemical Sensing
• Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Based Molecular Imprinted Polymers for Sensing
• Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) Nanocomposites–based Sensors
• Advancement in Nanocomposites for Explosive Sensing
• Nanocomposite Materials Interface for Heavy Metal Ions Detection
• Nanocomposites as Electrochemical Sensing Platforms for Glucose Detection
• Tailored Nanocomposites for Hydrazine Electrochemical Sensors
• Optical Detection Of Toxic Cations And Anions By Nanocomposite Materials
• Nanocomposites for Humidity Sensor: An Overview