Preparation and Application of Electrochemical Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Coated Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Nitrocellulose Detection

In order to develop a novel method for the identification and detection of nitrocellulose (NC), an electrochemical sensor based on surface molecularly imprinted polymer is prepared in this work. First, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanocomposite on the surface of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was synthesized with a surface polymerization method using NC as a template, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as a cross‐linker and 2,2′‐azobis (2‐methylpropionitrile) as an initiator. The molecular structure, morphology and thermal performance of prepared MWCNTs‐MIP were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope, Fourier‐transform Infrared Spectrascopy and Thermogravimetric Analysis. Results show that a stable imprinted layer was constructed on the surface of MWCNTs. Then the electrochemical sensor based on MWCNTs‐MIP was prepared using a glassy carbon electrode and tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The electrochemical test demonstrated that the modified electrode is very responsive towards the NC. The detection of NC in the range of 0 to 7×10−5 mg/ml at the MWCNTs‐MIP/glassy carbon electrode was monitored by DPV with a limit of detection of 3.45×10−10 mg/ml. Furthermore, the MWCNTs‐MIP sensor not only exhibited good specificity, reproducibility and stability, but also demonstrated availability of NC detection in the propellant sample.