Molecularly imprinted polymer diffraction grating as label-free optical bio(mimetic)sensor

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 2801 - 2804
• Main Authors: Barrios, C.A., Zhenhe, C., Navarro-Villoslada, F., López-Romero, D., Moreno-Bondi, M.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.01.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biomimetic Materials; Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation; Biotechnology; Diffraction grating; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Label-free sensing; Molecular Probe Techniques; Molecularly imprinted polymer; Optical sensor; Refractometry - instrumentation; Staining and Labeling; Diffraction grating; Optical sensor; Label-free sensing; Molecularly imprinted polymer; Diffraction; Polymer; Molecular imprinting
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2010.11.009

Micropatterned molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) transmissive 2D diffraction gratings (DGs) are fabricated and evaluated as label-free antibiotic bio(mimetic)sensors. Polymeric gratings are prepared by using microtransfer molding based on SiO 2/Si molds. The morphology of the MIP gratings is studied by optical and atomic force microscopes. MIP 2D-DGs exhibit 2D optical diffraction patterns, and measurement of changes in diffraction efficiency is used as sensor response. The refractive index of the micropatterned MIP material was estimated, via solvent index matching experiments, to be 1.486. Immersion of a MIP 2D-DG in different solutions of target-antibiotic enrofloxacin leads to significant variations in diffraction efficiency, demonstrating target-molecule detection. On the other hand, no significant response is observed for both control experiments: MIP grating exposed to a non-retained analyte and an equivalent non-imprinted polymer grating exposed to the target analyte, showing highly specific antibiotic label-free optical recognition.