Electropolymerized Molecularly Imprinted Poly(L-Phenylalanine) Modified Lab-Made Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode for Voltammetric Analysis of Acetaminophen

A selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor was constructed on a lab-made screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) for the electrochemical determination of acetaminophen (AP). Different conductive carbon inks have been investigated for SPCE production. The sensor was prepared by direct electropolymerization of the L-phenylalanine on bare SPCE in the presence of the template molecule (AP). Physicochemical and morphological characterization studies of the sensor preparation steps were performed, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), conductivity, contact angle, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Under optimized experimental conditions, the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) response was linearly proportional to the AP concentration between 0.2 and 100 μmol L⁻¹ with a limit of detection (LOD) of 30 nmol L⁻¹. The MIP sensor showed good analytical performance, selectivity, and stability. Also, it was successfully used to quantify AP in fortified water samples.