A Piezoelectric Sensor Based on Nanoparticles of Ractopamine Molecularly Imprinted Polymers.

Conditions of the synthesis of nanoparticles of ractopamine molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) by the precipitation method are studied. It is shown that the size and dispersity of MIP particles are largely determined by the nature of the functional and cross-monomers and by the synthesis conditions: temperature, mixing rate, duration of synthesis, and ultrasonic treatment of the polymerization mixture before and after the synthesis. It is found that ractopamine MIP particles based on methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, sonicated for 30 min, have a minimum size and degree of dispersion. Using the piezoelectric quartz micro-weighing method, characteristics of the recognition layer based on MIP nanoparticles are found, and the analytical characteristics of a sensor for the determination of ractopamine in an aqueous solution are calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]