Uncovering the behavior of screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with polymers molecularly imprinted with lipopolysaccharide

[Display omitted] •Screen-printed carbon electrodes were modified for detecting bacterial endotoxins.•Molecular imprinting was used to prepare the modified interfaces.•Biosensors specifically detected lipopolysaccharides from Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.•Lipopolysaccharides retention switched on the electrochemical behavior of the biosensors. In the context of global issues concerning pathogen contamination of surface and ground waters, this pioneering study describes the fabrication of screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with polymers molecularly imprinted with lipopolysaccharide in an attempt to detect endotoxins derived from specific Gram-negative bacteria. The biosensors detected lipopolysaccharides derived from Pseudomonas Aeruginosa with high specificity, relative to control sensors, while the response to the same endotoxin derived from Escherichia coli was quite different.