Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Real-Time Gas Sensor for Ambient Methanol Vapor Analysis Developed Using Principles of Sustainable Chemistry

A molecularly imprinted polymer-based composite has beenfabricatedfor gas-phase sensing using principles of green chemistry.Methanol vapor was chosen as a target, being simultaneously a commonindustrial hazard and a relatively safe analogue for volatile pollutants.The sensor was therefore produced both from environmentally sustainablesources and for environmentally useful purposes. The described methanolsensor is effective at room temperature and in laboratory air, beingthe first demonstration of such a technology using molecularly imprintedpolymers. The sensor is therefore a sustainable progression in purposeand application, negating the previous requirement that analytes beheated before they can be detected. The MIP-graphite compositeshowed selectivity for methanol vapor over common interferents, includingother alcohols. The limit of detection was found to be 126 & mu;moldm(-3), and a consistent response was demonstratedup to 3.3 mmol dm(-3). Studies also demonstrated thatthe sensor could reproduce a response in proportion to methanol vaporconcentration after several months of storage under ambient conditions.Molecularly imprinted polymer gas sensors are therefore shown to bean effective basis for selective and sustainable pollutant monitoring. A molecularly imprinted polymer compositesensor for selectivedetection of methanol vapor under ambient conditions was developedusing green chemistry principles.