Acetylene black paste electrode modified with molecularly imprinted polymers/graphene for the determination of bisphenol A.

A novel nanocomposite of molecularly imprinted polymers and graphene sheets was fabricated and used to obtain a highly conductive acetylene black paste electrode with high conductivity for the detection of bisphenol A. The two-dimensional structure and the chemical functionality of graphene provide an excellent surface for the enhancement of the sensitivity of the electrochemical sensor and the specificity of molecularly imprinted polymers to improve detection of bisphenol A. The synergistic effect between graphene and molecularly imprinted polymers confers the nanocomposite with superior conductivity, broadened effective surface area and outstanding electrochemical performance. Factors affecting the performance of the imprinted sensor such as molecularly imprinted polymers concentration, foster time and scan rate are discussed. The sensor successfully detects bisphenol A with a wide linear range of 3.21 × 10 to 2.8 × 10 g/L (R = 0.995) and a detection limit of 9.63 × 10 g/L. The fabricated sensor also possessed high selectivity and stability and exhibits potential for environmental detection of contaminants and food safety inspection.