Project Details
[Return to Previous Page]Reducing Chemical Analyte Detection Limits in Electrochemical Sensors
Company: Veriprime
Major(s):
Primary: MATSE
Secondary: EE
Optional: CMPEN
Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO
Intellectual Property: YES
Project Overview: (This project is a continuation of the Fall Semester 2022 Project) The goal of the project is to determine how electrochemical sensor preparation parameters effect ethyl carbamate (EC) limit of detection (LOD). Fabricating the electrochemical sensor is a multistep process that uses a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) layer on an electrode to selectively distinguish and quantify EC from chemical mixtures. Students are expected to prepare, test, and refine MIP-based electrochemical sensors to establish critical parameters for detecting EC at nanomolar concentrations. Project Description High doses of EC have shown to be carcinogenetic in animal tests, and is prevalent in fermented foods and beverages. EC is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen in humans and is prevalent in distillers grains co-products from the ethanol industry. Over 40 million metric tons of these co-products are routinely fed to food animals and EC has been found in bovine blood, liver, lung, and muscle. A major hurdle in establishing the wide-spread health effects in humans and animals is to consistently and accurately measure EC concentration in fermented products, and animal blood samples or animal tissues postmortem. Current detection methods using chromatography and mass spectrometry are time consuming and expensive. Therefore, there is a need to find alternative detection and quantification methods to determine EC content in different sources and settings (e.g., laboratory and in the field). Electrochemical sensors exhibit chemical selectivity, energy efficiency, rapid detection, reduced fabrication costs, and scalability. Electrochemical sensors are sensitive to chemical concentrations, which are detected by changes in the electrical current. The Capstone Team is expected to fabricate an electrochemical sensor, building from previous work, consisting of a MIP layer on a commercial electrode. MIPs are selective to chemical analytes, and when combined with electrochemical detection, are a powerful method for detecting and quantifying specific chemicals such as EC. Deliverables Prepare electrochemical sensors using different commercially available electrodes. Determine EC LOD using the prepared electrochemical sensors. Establish the relationship between MIP film thickness and EC detection. Calibrate the optimal electrochemical sensor to test field samples with the goal of reaching at least a 37 nM LOD. The team will submit a final report and present the results to the corporate sponsor. Overview of Fabrication Protocol Electrochemical deposition and electrical measurements will be conducted on Penn States campus in the Steidle Building. 1. Prepare monomer solutions for synthesizing MIP films on commercial electrodes. 2. Synthesize MIP films on the electrodes using electrochemical methods. 3. Characterize the electrochemical properties of the sensor. 4. Construct a calibration curve for detecting EC. 5. Test field samples to measure EC content. Expected Timeline Weeks 1 – 3: Lab training and begin preparing MIP films on electrodes. Weeks 4 – 6: Measure EC concentration using prepared electrochemical sensors. Weeks 7 – 9: Optimize electrochemical sensor preparation methods to reduce EC LOD. Weeks 10 – 12: Prepare and test field samples to measure EC concentration. Weeks 13 – 15: Complete final report and present results at the Capstone showcase.
