A molecularly imprinted polymer on chromium (ΙΙΙ) oxide nanoparticles for spectrofluorometric detection of bisphenol A.

A unique fluorescent probe for the detection of bisphenol A (BPA) was established by creating a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) shell on chromium (ΙΙΙ) oxide nanoparticles (CrO NPs). The advantages of high selectivity of MIPs and the strong fluorescence property of CrO NPs were combined for the preparation of the probe. MIPs-coated CrO NPs were composed by anchoring MIP layer on the surface of CrO NPs using one-pot precipitation polymerization. Acrylic-based monomer and cross-linker were used to prepared MIP. The MIP-coated CrO NPs were characterized by spectrofluorometery, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, field transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, EDX and elemental mapping. The prepared NPs showed strong fluorescence emission at 360 nm excited at 300 nm which quenched in the presence of BPA. The dynamic range of the optical sensor was in the range of 0.04-4.4 μmol L and the detection limit was 0.015 μmol L. The relative standard deviation was 2.2 and 1.3% for the concentration levels of 0.14 and 3.1 μmol L, respectively. The probe had a great selectivity in the determination of BPA with an imprinting factor of 6.3. The sensor was applied for the quantification of bisphenol A in water samples.