Fabrication of a Sensitive and Straightforward Electrochemical Sensor Utilizing Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Targeted Detection of the Antiretroviral Drug Ritonavir

Fabrication of a Sensitive and Straightforward Electrochemical Sensor Utilizing Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Targeted Detection of the Antiretroviral Drug Ritonavir | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Fabrication of a Sensitive and Straightforward Electrochemical Sensor Utilizing Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Targeted Detection of the Antiretroviral Drug Ritonavir Abdullah Al Faysal, Ahmet Cetinkaya, Taner Erdoğan, Sibel A. Ozkan, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6910420/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Aug, 2025 Read the published version in Microchimica Acta → Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study developed a new sensor technology utilizing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the electrochemical detection of ritonavir (RTV), a protease inhibitor for HIV treatment. Since RTV is also a major inhibitor of the P450 3A4 isoenzyme, it is often given with other medications. Hence, assessing the therapeutic effectiveness of RTV requires precise measurement of RTV in complicated biological matrices and complex mixtures. On the surface of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE), a polymeric layer was created utilizing RTV as the template molecule, methacrylic acid (MAA) as the functional monomer, and aniline in phosphate buffer (pH 7). The morphological and electrochemical properties of the RTV/ANI-co-MAA@MIP-GCE sensor were evaluated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The sensor demonstrated a linear detection range for RTV using a redox probe (5.0 mM [Fe(CN) 6 ]−3/−4 ) between 1.0 × 10 − 12 M and 1.5 × 10 − 11 M, with a limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for standard solutions determined to be 2.75 × 10 − 13 M and 9.18 × 10 − 13 M, respectively. The sensor was then successfully used to identify RTV in commercial serum samples and tablets, producing acceptable recovery results. Consequently, the RTV/ANI-co-MAA@MIP-GCE exhibited high specificity, accuracy, and sensitivity for detecting RTV. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to complement the experimental findings to explore the interactions between the template and monomer, revealing binding energies for RTV–MAA complexes at various template: monomer ratios and elucidating potential intermolecular interactions. Molecularly imprinted polymers Ritonavir Electrochemical sensor Electropolymerization Computational design Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SuppMaterials.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Aug, 2025 Read the published version in Microchimica Acta → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 02 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 01 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 28 Jun, 2025 Reviews received at journal 27 Jun, 2025 Reviews received at journal 25 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 19 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 18 Jun, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 18 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 17 Jun, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6910420","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":474520127,"identity":"7b6fafae-27cb-4b81-9cff-ee55b3a7489e","order_by":0,"name":"Abdullah Al Faysal","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Istanbul Technical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdullah","middleName":"Al","lastName":"Faysal","suffix":""},{"id":474520129,"identity":"5f6a76e2-6f61-45ad-b146-bb125ae7a720","order_by":1,"name":"Ahmet Cetinkaya","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Health Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ahmet","middleName":"","lastName":"Cetinkaya","suffix":""},{"id":474520130,"identity":"69e7e920-ba21-4a01-abc1-fb4934733f02","order_by":2,"name":"Taner Erdoğan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kocaeli University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Taner","middleName":"","lastName":"Erdoğan","suffix":""},{"id":474520131,"identity":"5b8c18e8-5bef-4259-8f1a-af73e4260dd1","order_by":3,"name":"Sibel A. 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Since RTV is also a major inhibitor of the P450 3A4 isoenzyme, it is often given with other medications. Hence, assessing the therapeutic effectiveness of RTV requires precise measurement of RTV in complicated biological matrices and complex mixtures. On the surface of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE), a polymeric layer was created utilizing RTV as the template molecule, methacrylic acid (MAA) as the functional monomer, and aniline in phosphate buffer (pH 7). The morphological and electrochemical properties of the RTV/ANI-co-MAA@MIP-GCE sensor were evaluated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The sensor demonstrated a linear detection range for RTV using a redox probe (5.0 mM [Fe(CN)\u003csub\u003e6\u003c/sub\u003e\u003csup\u003e]\u0026minus;3/\u0026minus;4\u003c/sup\u003e) between 1.0 \u0026times; 10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;12\u003c/sup\u003e M and 1.5 \u0026times; 10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;11\u003c/sup\u003e M, with a limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for standard solutions determined to be 2.75 \u0026times; 10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;13\u003c/sup\u003e M and 9.18 \u0026times; 10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;13\u003c/sup\u003e M, respectively. The sensor was then successfully used to identify RTV in commercial serum samples and tablets, producing acceptable recovery results. Consequently, the RTV/ANI-co-MAA@MIP-GCE exhibited high specificity, accuracy, and sensitivity for detecting RTV. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to complement the experimental findings to explore the interactions between the template and monomer, revealing binding energies for RTV\u0026ndash;MAA complexes at various template: monomer ratios and elucidating potential intermolecular interactions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Fabrication of a Sensitive and Straightforward Electrochemical Sensor Utilizing Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Targeted Detection of the Antiretroviral Drug Ritonavir","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-23 12:55:27","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6910420/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-07-02T16:37:31+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-07-01T17:47:13+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-06-28T16:17:46+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-06-27T07:06:33+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-06-25T18:30:27+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"251966115440114398362200102380638624032","date":"2025-06-25T13:19:35+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"74307606663132804692329997265093689865","date":"2025-06-25T05:01:45+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"149671114736947120820314311212457647861","date":"2025-06-21T16:57:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"311825135773777555462417262640592394308","date":"2025-06-21T14:31:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"200348869656205601029893383716693540217","date":"2025-06-20T13:53:04+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-06-19T13:48:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-06-18T08:08:41+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-06-18T08:08:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Microchimica Acta","date":"2025-06-17T05:10:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"microchimica-acta","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"miac","sideBox":"Learn more about [Microchimica Acta](https://link.springer.com/journal/604)","snPcode":"604","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/604/3","title":"Microchimica Acta","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d934a954-ae80-494c-a35f-ba616d3025f7","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-08-11T16:08:19+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6910420","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-025-07427-z","journal":{"identity":"microchimica-acta","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Microchimica Acta"},"publishedOn":"2025-08-06 15:57:59","publishedOnDateReadable":"August 6th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-23 12:55:27","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s00604-025-07427-z","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-025-07427-z","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6910420","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6910420","identity":"rs-6910420","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}