Modification of carbon aerogel electrode with molecularly imprinted polypyrrole for electrochemical determination of dopamine

Abstract Carbon aerogel (CA) was prepared by sol–gel process at ambient pressure drying. A novel electrochemical sensing platform with electrocatalytical activity and molecular recognition capabilities was developed for the detection of dopamine (DA), based on the modification of molecularly imprinted polypyrrole (MIPPy) onto a CA surface by electropolymerization and molecular imprinting techniques. The optimum sensing conditions could be provided with pyrrole-DA molar ratio of 1.5:1. The performance of the fabricated sensor was evaluated and the results indicated that the sensor exhibited high sensitivity in DA detection, with a linear range from 0.007 to 35 μM and a limit of detection of 0.0004 μM. Moreover, the sensor showed high selectivity towards DA in comparison to other interferents. The practical application of the sensor was also realized in the selective detection of DA in real samples.