(Invited) Engineering Electropolymerized Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Synthetic Electrochemical Biosensors

Abstract

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as robust and cost-effective synthetic recognition elements for selective molecular sensing; however, challenges remain in translating them into scalable, high-performance electrochemical sensors. Electropolymerized MIPs (eMIPs) offer a direct and versatile route to creating functional thin films on electrode surfaces with tunable morphology and controllable thickness. This work presents recent advancements in the design and fabrication of eMIP-based electrochemical sensors targeting analytes relevant to both health monitoring and food safety, including cortisol, glucose, and antibiotic residues. Machine learning techniques have been employed to correlate fabrication parameters with sensing performance, enabling data-driven optimization of material synthesis. Real-time, in-situ monitoring of the electropolymerization process was used to investigate how fabrication conditions affect polymer film properties and to guide process refinement for improved sensitivity. Multiple transduction mechanisms have been explored, including: redox-integrated MIPs for reagentless detection of electro-inactive analytes; incorporation of nanostructured catalysts into the MIP matrix for non-enzymatic glucose sensing; and nanomaterial-enhanced direct detection of electroactive targets. Flexible, high-performance transducers have also been developed to improve sensor stability, sensitivity, and expand application versatility. Through case studies in health monitoring and food safety, this work demonstrates how the integration of rational design, advanced materials, and real-time process control contributes to the development of low-cost, scalable, and high-performance electrochemical sensing platforms.