Fast screening of antibiotics in milk using a molecularly imprinted two-dimensional photonic crystal hydrogel sensor

As a typical antibiotic that is harmful to the health of human beings and widely used in animal husbandry, oxytetracycline (OTC) has a potential threat to the food safety. Therefore, the design of portable sensors for efficiently monitoring trace amounts of OTC in foods is vital to maintain safe food supply in our daily life. Herein, a two-dimensional (2D) molecularly imprinted photonic crystal hydrogel (MIPCH) sensor for the detection of OTC was fabricated by combining the photonic crystal (PC) method and molecular imprinting technique. In this regard, OTC was used as imprinted template to form the MIPCH sensor with specific binding sites during polymerization. After the removal of template, the obtained MIPCH possessed the specific nanocavities that were complementary to target compound, OTC. In addition, the response of the MIPCH to tetracyclines (TCs) in aqueous solution was monitored through a readable change of Debye diffraction ring, which is related to the particle spacing variation of MIPCH in response to the target molecules. As the concentration of OTC increased from 0 to 60 μM, the particle spacing of MIPCH sensor increased to about 94 nm and the structural color redshifted from blue to red. More importantly, the detection of OTC in milk sample by this portable, cost-effective MIPCH sensor has also been achieved at the same range of OTC. With the increasing concentration of OTC in milk sample, the particle spacing of MIPCH sensor increased about 92 nm and the structural color of MIPCH changed from blue through green to orange.