Nicotine detection in tobacco samples via a molecularly imprinted polymers sensing platform

Abstract

A highly sensitive and selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensing platform was developed for the detection of nicotine in tobacco samples. The MIP sensor was fabricated by integrating a PtNPs/GO nanocomposite with an electropolymerized nicotine-imprinted film on a glassy carbon electrode. Under optimal conditions (pH 7.4, 50 mM pyrrole, and 30 min elution time), the MIP sensor exhibited a wide linear range (0.01–0.5 μM and 0.5–100 μM), low detection limit (0.015 μM), good reproducibility (RSD < 4.2 %), and long-term stability (93.2 % retention after 30 days). The MIP sensor demonstrated excellent selectivity towards nicotine, with selectivity coefficients ranging from 7.2 to 9.5 against interfering substances. The practical applicability of the MIP sensor was validated by analyzing nicotine content in cigarettes and chewing tobacco samples, with recoveries ranging from 97.5 % to 102.8 % and relative errors within ±5 % compared to the reference GC-MS method. The proposed MIP-based electrochemical sensing platform offers a rapid, simple, and cost-effective approach for sensitive and selective detection of nicotine in complex tobacco matrices, showing great potential for applications in the tobacco industry and public health sector.