Carbon dot-based molecularly imprinted polymer fluorescent sensor for the detection of propranolol in plasma

The template molecule propranolol and the functional monomer 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane interacted via hydrogen bonding, and the copolymerization of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and ethyl n-silicate on the surface of the carbon dots catalyzed by ammonia resulted in the embedding of the template molecule into the silica-coated matrix. The unreacted reagents and template molecules were subsequently washed away to prepare carbon dot-based molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor. [Display omitted] •Carbon dot-based molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor is developed to detect propranolol.•The detection limit of the fluorescent sensor is 0.092 mg L−1.•The detection can be completed within 2 min in artificial plasma.•Selective detecting due to imprinting site and fluorescent signal of carbon dot. Propranolol, a medication used to treat cardiovascular diseases, can be harmful when overdosed and hazardous to ecosystems if released into the environment. Here, a new molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor was developed from carbon dots through a sol–gel method. Carbon dots served as both the fluorescent signal and the carrier, with propranolol as the template molecule and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as the functional monomer to be grafted on carbon dots’ surface. A novel detection method was established for the efficient, rapid, and cost-effective detection of propranolol in human plasma through quantitative analysis by using a fluorescence spectrophotometer and an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. Under the optimal conditions, the detection range of 0.5–4 mg L−1, the detection limit of 0.092 mg L−1, the imprinting factor of 2.42, and the detection response time of 2 min were achieved. The prepared carbon dot-based molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor was proved to have a wide accurate linear range, low detection limit, and very short response time, and can detect lower analyte concentrations with higher detection accuracy.