Ultrasensitive dopamine sensor based on novel molecularly imprinted polypyrrole coated carbon nanotubes

A novel electrochemical sensor using the molecularly imprinted (MIP) oxygen-containing polypyrrole (PPy) decorated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite was proposed for in vivo detection of dopamine (DA). The prepared sensor exhibits a remarkable sensitivity of (16.18μA/μM) with a linear range of 5.0×10−11–5.0×10−6M and limit of detection as low as 1.0×10−11M in the detection of DA, which might be due to the plenty cavities for binding DA through π–π stacking between aromatic rings and hydrogen bonds between amino groups of DA and oxygen-containing groups of the novel PPy. •Novel strategy to improve the sensitivity of CNTs polymer composite sensors was proposed.•PPy/CNTs-MIPs with plenty oxygen-containing groups was facilely synthesized.•Oxygen-containing groups of PPy could establish strong hydrogen bonds with amino groups of DA.•PPy/CNTs-MIPs sensor offered a nanomole level detection for DA in biological systems.