Molecularly Imprinted Polymers For Detection Of Contaminants

• US 20140227795A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Inventors: Belbruno, Joseph J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,228,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/130
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/005 Spin coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/125 Composition of the body, e.g. the composition of its sensitive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/126 comprising organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0006 Calibrating gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0036 specially adapted to detect a particular component physical analysis of gaseous biological material G01N33/497
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0047 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2918 including free carbon or carbide or therewith [not as steel]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/20 Oxygen containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/200833 Carbonyl, ether, aldehyde or ketone containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/202499 Formaldehyde or acetone

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the field of molecularly imprinted polymers for detecting target molecules.

Claims

1. A sensor for the detection of an airborne target molecule comprising a conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film and a surface, said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film comprising a polymer host comprising binding sites for said airborne target molecule, and

wherein said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film is coated upon said surface.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein said surface comprises an electrode.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film has a thickness equal to or less than about 0.25 inches.

6. A method for detecting an airborne target molecule using a conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film or sensor of claim 1, said method comprising exposing said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film coated surface to a gas, air sample, and/or vapor, and

measuring the resistance to the flow of an electrical current applied to said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film coated surface, and

wherein said resistance measurement is used to detect said airborne target molecule in said gas, air sample, and/or vapor.

40. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said molecularly imprinted polymer film comprises a polymer host comprising a structural component and a conductive component.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

7. A conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film composition comprising carbon nanotubes coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer layer.

8. (canceled)

9. A sensor for the detection of an airborne target molecule comprising a conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film and a surface, said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film comprising carbon nanotubes coated with a molecular imprinted polymer comprising binding sites for said airborne target molecule, and

wherein said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film is coated upon said surface.

10. The sensor of claim 9, wherein said surface comprises an electrode.

11-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for producing a conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film for detection of an airborne target molecule, said method comprising:

dissolving a polymer host comprising a structural component and a conductive component in a first solvent to form a first solution;

adding a target molecule to said first solution;

mixing said target molecule into said first solution to form a molecularly imprinted polymer solution;

coating said molecularly imprinted polymer solution onto a surface; and

removing said target molecule to form said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film.

18. The method of claim 17, said coating comprising electropolymerization, spin casting or laser deposition.

19. The method of claim 17, said step of removing said target molecule comprising:

extracting said target molecule from said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film using a second solvent,

wherein said polymer host is insoluble in said second solvent, and

wherein said target molecule is soluble in said second solvent.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said first solvent has a boiling point lower than the boiling point of said target molecule.

21. The method of claim 20, said step of removing said target molecule comprising evaporating said target molecule from said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said target molecule is selected from the group consisting essentially of glutaraldehyde, cotinine, benzonpyrene, toluene, xylene, vinyl chloride, styrene, mustards, nerve gases, phosgene, and cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said target molecule comprises formaldehyde.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said first solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, dimethylformamide, water, and chloroform.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein said first solvent is formic acid.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein said structural component comprises nylon-6, polyethyleneimine, polyurethane, polycarbonate and/or polyvinylpyrrolidinone.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein said conductive component comprises polyaniline, carbon nanotubes, and/or single wall carbon nanotubes.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein said polymer host comprises nylon-6 and polyaniline.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein said polymer host comprises polyethyleneimine and polyaniline.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein said polymer host ranges from about 2 percent to about 15 percent by weight with respect to said first solvent in said first solution.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein said target molecule ranges from about 2 percent to about 10 percent by weight with respect to said first solvent in said molecularly imprinted polymer solution.

35. The method of claim 17, wherein said conductive molecularly imprinted polymer film composition comprises a molar ratio of about 1 to 1 of said conductive component and said structural component.

38. The method of claim 17, wherein said airborne target molecule is selected from the group consisting of glutaraldehyde, cotinine, benzopyrene, toluene, xylene, vinyl chloride, styrene, mustards, nerve gases, phosgene, and cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes.

32-34. -34. (canceled)

36-37. -37. (canceled)

39. (canceled)