Analytical Sciences

Development and Applications of Quantum Dot-based Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Composites for Optosensing of Carbofuran in Water

Qiang ZHOU,*,** Chengcheng LIU,*** Hong ZHANG,*,** Chunjie ZHAO,*** and Yanhong WANG*,**

*Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
**Ministry of Agriculture Laboratory of Risk Assessment of Environment Factors for Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Shenyang 110016, China
***School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China

In this paper, quantum dot (QD)-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was fabricated and successfully utilized as a fluorescent probe for highly selective and sensitive detection of carbofuran in water samples. The MIPs were synthesized followed by a multi-step swelling and polymerization method, and then labeled with CdSe/ZnS QDs via gradual solvent evaporation. Then the prepared QDs-MIP microspheres were introduced to flow cytometry by virtue of their good dispersibility in water, and fast adsorption and desorption. Under optimized conditions, the fluorescence intensity of QDs-MIP decreased linearly with the increasing of carbofuran in the concentration range of 1 – 20 μg L⁻¹ (R² > 0.99) and it can detect down to 0.2 μg L⁻¹ of carbofuran. This method was simple, selective and applied successfully to the optosensing of trace carbofuran in water samples with good recoveries ranging from 94.1 ± 3.7 to 98.4 ± 4.5%.

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