Development and applications of molecularly imprinted polymers based on hydrophobic CdSe/ZnS quantum dots for optosensing of N(ε)-carboxymethyllysine in foods.

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) based on hydrophobic CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (HBQDs) was synthesized via an approach that combines MIPs for the selectivity and sensitivity with semiconductor HBQDs as optosensing material (HBQDs@MIP). Here, using a one-pot water-in-oil reverse microemulsion polymerization, the HBQDs@MIP was used as a molecular recognition element to construct an N(ε)-carboxymethyllysine (CML) optosensor. The HBQDs were coated with silica to endow the nanoparticles with high dispersibility and broad compatibility with hydrophilic analytes. Under optima conditions, the relative fluorescence intensity of the HBQDs@MIP decreased linearly with increasing CML concentration in the range 5-400μgL(-1). The proposed method enables, detection procedures to be completed within 90min, with good recoveries, ranging from 85% to 106%. It can be applied to the rapid and cost-effective monitoring of CML in food samples.