Molecularly imprinted polymers microsphere prepared by precipitation polymerization for hydroquinone recognition

A one-step precipitation polymerization synthesis was adopted for the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) by using hydroquinone as a template molecule. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) exhibited that the polymers were uniform spheres with the diameter of about 700 nm. The results of adsorption experiments showed that the microspherical imprinted polymers possessed fast adsorption dynamics. Compared to the structurally similar compounds, catechol and resorcinol, the MIPs exhibited a high recognizable capacity to hydroquinone. And the electrochemical sensor fabricated by modifying the prepared MIPs microsphere on the glassy carbon electrode surface was used to detect the hydroquinone concentration. The current response was proportional to the concentration of hydroquinone in the range of 2.0 × 10−6 to 1.0 × 10−4 mol/L with the detection limit of 1.0 × 10−6 mol/L.