Melamine‐imprinted quartz crystal microbalance sensor for its detection in milk

Abstract A unique and selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was fabricated to detect melamine using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) surface. The MIP was synthesized by sol–gel technique utilizing 3‐(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (TMSPMA) as the functional monomer bearing the methacrylate head group. To identify the melamine, we applied a coating of the as‐synthesized MIP over the silicon crystal of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) detector. High‐affinity adsorption of template molecules from the aqueous solution is the basis of the detection. Adsorption experiments performed in real‐time on MIP surfaces indicate that melamine forms strong bonds with its template molecule. We have evaluated the MIP surface using contact angle, BET, RAMAN and AFM investigations regarding wettability, reactivity, surface area, and smoothness. The real‐time adsorption experiments of template molecules on the MIP substrate reveal enhanced attachments with MIP, whereas the NIP demonstrates no interactions with the template molecules. Melamine detection in tainted milk samples further validated the MIP QCM sensor effectiveness. Melamine at a concentration ranging from 1–20 mg/L is tested. Findings conclude that the polymerization method and the QCM nanosensor for selective melamine detection were adequate substitutes for the technologies currently used for detecting melamine.