Development of smart molecularly imprinted tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin films for in vitro dopamine sensing

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openAccess

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Volume Title

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

2025-01-01

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Mcode

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Language

en

Pages

11

Series

Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Volume 976

Abstract

This study investigates how varying the thickness of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) thin films and incorporating a titanium adhesion layer influences the structural and electrochemical properties of molecularly imprinted ta-C thin film-based sensing platforms, aiming to develop a molecularly imprinted ta-C electrochemical sensor for dopamine (DA) detection with physiologically relevant sensitivity. This electrochemical sensing platform was designed by integrating ta-C with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The process involved depositing a ta-C thin film onto boron-doped p-type silicon wafers through a filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) system. Subsequently, the ta-C sensing platforms were electrochemically coated with the MIP layer (DA-imprinted polypyrrole). We evaluated three configurations: (i) a 15 nm ta-C layer, (ii) a 7 nm ta-C layer with a 20 nm titanium adhesion layer, and (iii) a 15 nm ta-C layer with a 20 nm titanium adhesion layer. Comprehensive structural and electrochemical characterization was performed to understand how these modifications affect sensor performance. The optimized MIP/ta-C sensor demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.16 μA μM−1 cm−2 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 48.6 nM, suitable for detecting DA at physiological levels. Leveraging the synergistic effects of ta-C coatings and molecular imprinting, as well as its compatibility with common complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) processes underlines its potential for integration into microanalytical systems, paving the way for miniaturized and high-throughput sensing platforms

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| openaire: EC/H2020/824070/EU//CONNECT

Keywords

Electrochemical molecular Imprinting, Dopamine detection, Electrochemical characterization, Tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin films

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Citation

Rinaldi, G, Nekoueian, K, Etula, J & Laurila, T 2025, ' Development of smart molecularly imprinted tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin films for in vitro dopamine sensing ', Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, vol. 976, 118742 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelechem.2024.118742