Expeditious quantitative analysis of λ-cyhalothrin depending on fluorescence quenching of fluorescent surface molecularly imprinted sensors

A highly selective and sensitive molecular imprinted polymer sensor suitable for fluorescence detection of cyhalothrin samples has been successfully fabricated via atom transfer radical polymerization. The fluorescence intensity of SiO2-MPS@FMIP (MPS: 3-(methacryloxyl) propyl trimethoxysilane, SiO2-MPS: MPS modified SiO2 core, FMIP: fluorescent molecular imprinted polymer) showed a linear response to cyhalothrin concentration in the range of 2-80 nM with a detection limit of 0.0037 nM. Different existing analogue compounds such as cyfluthrin, fenvalerate and bifenthrin were used to examine the selectivity of the as-fabricated sensor, and no obvious fluorescence change could be observed with these interferents and their mixtures. The excellent performance of the proposed sensor and satisfactory results of cyhalothrin suggested that the SiO2-MPS@FMIP sensor for the determination of cyhalothrin will be a good candidate as a new material.