Chloramphenicol Biomimetic Molecular Imprinted Polymer Used as a Sensing Element in Nano-Composite Carbon Paste Potentiometric Sensor

A Chloramphenicol selective nano-composite carbon paste sensor based on a molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) as a sensing element is made. The artificial host for chloramphenicol (CAP) was imprinted based cross-linked polymer. Methacrylic acid (MAA) was used as a functional monomer and chloroform was used as polymerization solvent. Then, nano-composite paste were made of MIP as a sensing element, multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), nanosilica (NS), graphite powder, and room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as binder. The best results were obtained by the nano-composite sensor having composition of 5% MWCNT, 1% NS, 20% CAP-MIP, 20% RTIL, and 54% graphite powder. The proposed sensor shows a Nernstian response (59.1 +/- 0.4 mV decade(-1)) in the range of 1.0x10(-6)-1.0x10(-2) mol L-1. The nano-composite carbon paste electrode showed very good selectivity, fast response time, and long lifetime. It was successfully applied in analysis of Chloramphenicol in pharmaceutical formulation.