An Electrochemical Sensor for Phenylephrine Based on Molecular Imprinting

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were applied as molecular recognition elements to an electrochemical sensor for phenylephrine. A MIPs membrane was created on a glassy carbon electrode. SEM revealed a gradual change on the morphology of modified electrodes as the ratios of function monomer and cross-linking varied. When the ratio was 4:40, the surface morphology between the imprinted electrode (M-electrode) and the control electrode (N-electrode) became unambiguously different. This artificial receptor exhibited high selectivity for the template compared to closely related analogue. The response of the sensor varied in different concentration range might due to the heterogeneity of the MIPs membrane. This sensor was also used to determine phenylephrine in tablet samples.