Abstract
Rapid, selective, and cost-effective detection and determination of clinically relevant biomolecule analytes for a better understanding of biological and physiological functions are becoming increasingly prominent. In this regard, biosensors represent a powerful tool to meet these requirements. Recent decades have seen biosensors gaining popularity due to their ability to design sensor platforms that are selective to determine target analytes. Naturally generated receptor units have a high affinity for their targets, which provides the selectivity of a device. However, such receptors are subject to instability under harsh environmental conditions and have consequently low durability. By applying principles of supramolecular chemistry, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can successfully replace natural receptors to circumvent these shortcomings. This review summarizes the recent achievements and analytical applications of electrosynthesized MIPs, in particular, for the detection of protein-based biomarkers. The scope of this review also includes the background behind electrochemical readouts and the origin of the gate effect in MIP-based biosensors.
Highlights
All living organisms know some form of naturally generated receptors that have an impressive ability to recognize target molecules
Detection of absorbed spores was more sensitive in the presence of a chelating agent because the signal was enhanced by the interaction of the conducting polymer with Ca2+ or dipicolinic acid (DPA) released from the spore core during endospore germination
Compared to molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), which are fabricated using variants of the chemical approach, electrosynthesized MIPs have emerged as promising candidates for advanced sensors for a wide range of applications
Summary
All living organisms know some form of naturally generated receptors that have an impressive ability to recognize target molecules This recognition presents the central event of almost all cellular interactions, such as enzymatic catalysis, nucleic acid hybridization, and antibody–antigen binding, among others [1,2]. Applying the principles of supramolecular chemistry, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can successfully replace natural receptors to circumvent these shortcomings [1,7] These artificial biomimetic materials, often termed “smart” materials, can recognize target molecules based on their shape and size. The associated electrochemical readout and the so-called “gate effect” phenomena are discussed
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