Molecular imprinting technology for electrochemical sensing of kasugamycin in food products based on Cu2+/Cu+ stripping current

An electrochemical sensing approach was developed for the detection of the agricultural antibiotic drug kasugamycin. The method involves the construction of an electrochemical sensor comprising molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) embedded within a carbon paste (CP) matrix. The MIPs are designed to have imprinted sites that match the size and geometry of the Cu(II)-kasugamycin coordinated complex. Upon removal of kasugamycin, cavities suitable for the drug's entrance are formed within the MIPs. The presence of Cu(II) facilitates the detection of the drug by generating a redox signal of Cu(II)-Cu(I), which can be easily detected using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The signal response of Cu(II)-Cu(I) increases in the presence of the drug, promoting the accumulation of Cu(II) ions within the imprinted cavities. Under optimized conditions, the anodic peak (