Novel ion imprinted polymer electrochemical sensor for the selective detection of lead(II)

Abstract

The application of a novel Pb²⁺ selective sensor based on the ionic imprinted polymer in determining trace levels of lead in natural water and in fruit juice was investigated using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The new and selective magnetic ion-imprinted polymer (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@IIP) was synthesized using 2-(2-aminophenyl)-1H-benzimidazole and 4-vinyl pyridine as a ligand and functional monomer, respectively. The new polymer was utilized for modifying a GCE to generate a new electrochemical sensor. Box-Behnken design (BBD) was utilized for optimizing the parameters influencing the peak current. Extremely suitable voltammetric performance was demonstrated for the electrochemical detection of lead with a low detection limit (0.05 ng mL^-1), over a wide linear concentration range (0.1-80 ng mL^-1). This modified electrode as a novel sensor was utilized for determining Pb(II) ions in natural water and in fruit juice with very reasonable outcomes.

Keywords: Box–Behnken design; Glassy carbon electrode; Lead (II); Novel sensor.