Inventors: Zhou YX, Maracas GN
Patent Title: Two-step molecular surface imprinting method for making a sensor
Publication date: 2008
Publication number: US20080179191

Abstract: A method is provided for detecting target molecules (60) using a surface-molecularly imprinted sensor (52) and more particularly for detecting hydroxyl containing molecules, heavy metal ions, or thiol- or dialkylamine containing molecules by integrating molecular recognition and sensor transduction. The method includes soaking a support surface (14) in a solution containing a ligand molecule with headgroups that could adsorb on the surface of a substrate, or monomer to create a monolayer, a monolayer of polymerized organosiloxane groups (16), or a conducting film on the support surface (14). Template molecules (18) are then added to the imprinting solution so as to be positioned within the sparsely formed film, wherein the template molecules (18) comprise hydroxyl containing molecules, heavy metal ions, or thiol and dialkylamine containing molecules which prevents the interaction between monomer/ligand molecules and template molecules (18). In this case, there is a competitive reaction between the hydroxyl group on the surface of substrate and hydroxyl in ethanol molecule with monomer, e.g. OTS. The template molecules (18) are removed to define cavities in the imprinted film (16).
URL: http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US2008179191&F=0