Voltammetric sensors with chiral recognition capability: The use of a chiral inducing agent in polyaniline electrochemical synthesis for the specific recognition of the enantiomers of the pesticide dinoseb

An electrochemical method for chiral polyaniline synthesis has been optimised to develop voltammetric sensors capable of target enantiomer recognition. The methodologies for both R- and S-specific sensor development have been carefully optimised in order to obtain the highest chiral discrimination capacity. R and S specific sensors were synthesised potentiostatically at 0.5V and 0.6V, respectively in 0.28 M R- or S-camphorsulphonic acid, which acted as a chiral inducing agent. Higher potential values led to polymer degradation. The proposed methodology allows the generation of sensors which are able to bind the different enantiomers of the pesticide dinoseb with good sensitivity and repeatability (RSD < 10%). Thereby the resulting R- and S- sensors showed a very high capability to bind selectively the target enantiomer from a racemic mixture. The proposed method could be also extended easily to selective recognition of enantiomers of other chiral compounds. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.