Abstract: Surface-molecularly imprinted sensors were fabricated for detecting ionic molecules. Target molecules are recognized by the combination of a hydrophobic interaction with the imprinted polymer layer to provide specificity and an electrostatic interaction to provide sensitivity Coupling surface imprinting techniques with an electrochemical detection method, such as potentiometry, allows specific recognition of target molecules and translation of the recognition event into an output signal by the sensor.

Abstract: Enantiomeric resolution is realized by combining an electrochemical method with ligand exchange (LE) in a novel electrochemical method named chiral ligand exchange potentiometry. Chiral selector ligands preferentially recognize certain enantiomers and undergo ligand exchange with the enantiomeric labile coordination complexes to form diastereoisomeric complexes. These complexes can form in solution and be recognized by an unmodified electrode, or they can be immobilized on the surface of a modified electrode (chiral sensor) incorporated with the chiral selector ligand by polysiloxane monolayer immobilization (PMI). Considerable stereoselectivity occurs in the formation of these diastereoisomeric complexes, and their net charges (Nernst factors) are different, thus enabling enantiomers to be distinguished by potentiometric electrodes without any pre-separation processes.