A Novel Electrochemical Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Solid-Phase Extraction for Rapid Determination of Ractopamine in Pig Urine

Abstract

A new absorbent (polymer) for solid-phase extraction of ractopamine (RAC) was synthesized on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCTs) using grafting technique and surface imprinting methods. The superficial characteristics of the polymer were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UN spectrometry was applied to investigate the static and kinetic adsorption capacity of the new absorbent. After the experimental conditions for the solid-phase extraction of RAC were optimized, a sensing system for the determination of RAC was established by connecting the solid-phase extraction column with a portable amperometric sensing system. The SEM study showed that numbers of imprinted micro-pores were exhibited on the surface of the imprinted polymers, and the absorption experiments indicated that the molecularly imprinted absorbent possessed satisfactory kinetics for the adsorption of ractopamine. The current response of the amperometric sensor demonstrated a linear correlation to the concentration of RAC over the range of 50 to 450 nM (r = 0.998) and the detection limit was 15 nM. Satisfactory sensitivity and stability was also presented under the optimized experimental conditions. The recoveries of RAC samples reached 87.3–94.8% in urine sample.