The incorporation of imprinted polymers (IP) into sensing devices has enabled the detection of a wide range of analytes going from molecules to whole cells. Biomimetic platforms for bacteria recognition possess the potential of being a low-cost and on-site testing monitoring technology for environmental and food safety applications, where the accurate detection of pathogens is crucial for preventing disease. This work presents an imprinted polymer-based thermal biomimetic sensor for the detection of Escherichia coli, a well-known indicator of faecal contamination. A novel and facile imprinting protocol for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films is investigated and these receptor layers are functionalized with graphene oxide (GO) in order to improve the overall sensitivity of the sensor. Upon the recognition and binding of the target to the densely imprinted polymers, a concentration-dependant measureable change in temperature is observed in real time. The limit of detection attained for the sensor employing PDMS-GO imprints was 80 ±10 CFU/mL, a full order lower than neat PDMS imprints (670 ±140 CFU/mL), illustrating the beneficial effect of the dopant on the thermo-dynamical properties of the interfacial layer. A parallel benchmarking of the thermal sensor with a commercial impedance analyser was performed in order to prove the possibility of using the developed PDMS-GO receptors with multiple readout platforms. The results of this study suggests that the sensor possess the potential to be employed as a fast, reproducible and sensitive tool in the routine analysis of samples for food safety and environmental monitoring.

Imprinted polydimethylsiloxane- graphene oxide composite receptor for the biomimetic thermal sensing of faecal indicator Escherichia coli

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.