A novel sensitive electrochemical sensor based on in-situ polymerized molecularly imprinted membranes at graphene modified electrode for artemisinin determination.

To develop a rapid and simple method for sensitive determination of artemisinin (ART) in complicated matrices, a novel electrochemical sensor was constructed by in-situ polymerization of ART-imprinted membranes (ART-MIMs) on the surface of graphene (G) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using acrylamide (AM) as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as cross-linking agent after the experimental parameters for the preparation of ART-MIMs such as functional monomer, molar ratio of template, monomer and cross-linking agent together with extraction condition were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor named as ART-MIM/G/GCE exhibited a good selectivity, high sensitivity and considerably better resistance against some analogs of artemisinin such as dihydroartemisinin (DHA), artemether (ARM) and artesunate (ARTS). The calibration graph for the determination of artemisinin by the sensor was linear in the range of 1.0 × 10(-8)mol L(-1) to 4.0 × 10(-5)mol L(-1) with the detection limit of 2.0 × 10(-9)mol L(-1). Meanwhile, this sensor possessed of good regeneration, stability and practicability. It could retain more than 94% of its original response after used at least 80 times or stored in water at room temperature for 60 days. The obtained sensor was successfully applied to determine the contents of artemisinin in the extract of Artemisia annua L. with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 3.5% (n=5).