Preparation of molecularly imprinted optical-based biosensors for the detection of methamphetamine

Methamphetamine (METH) is one of the most widely abused illicit psychoactive substances worldwide due to its easy synthesizability, low cost, and high addiction potential. In this study, a plasmonic sensor based on molecular imprinting technology was successfully developed for the highly selective and sensitive detection of METH. The molecular imprinting technique was used to create specific recognition sites for the binding site of the target analyte, and this specific recognition was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based plasmonic sensing method. The developed system was configured as a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based SPR sensor, and the change in refractive index showed a linear relationship with METH concentrations between 1.67 μM and 167.5 μM. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the detection limit of the sensor was determined as 0.66 μM in artificial plasma and 0.58 μM in artificial urine, which are below the limits required for METH detection. The findings reveal that the MIP-based SPR sensor platform has significant potential for the selective and accurate detection of target molecules such as methamphetamine. The developed sensor offers a suitable method for rapid and reliable drug analysis with its analytical performance with high selectivity and sensitivity; and contributes to the development of next-generation detection technologies in this field.