Biodegradation performance of azo dyes based on Fe-Mn@C dual-template molecularly imprinted sensor

The microbial degradation of aromatic organic pollutants is incomplete due to their metabolic characteristics, which can easily produce certain highly toxic intermediates. Therefore, this article designs a dual template molecularly imprinted sensor (DTMIP/Fe-Mn@C) for iron manganese metal nanomaterials, prepared Fe-Mn@C composite materials by a one pot method were coated on the surface of glassy carbon electrodes and covered with molecularly imprinted membranes through electropolymerization and elution methods, achieving real-time detection of specific intermediate products 2-methylbutyric acid (2-MBA) and 3-methylbutyric acid (3-MBA) degraded by azo dyes. In order to determine the detection sensitivity and intensity range of the sensor, optimization experiments were conducted on various parameters that affect the detection performance, such as the type of functional monomer and its composition ratio with the template molecule, detection time window, environmental pH value, etc. Finally, o-Phenylenediamine was determined as the functional monomer, with a molar ratio of 1:1:6 to the template molecules 2-MBA and 3-MBA. Electrochemical testing was conducted in a neutral environment with an incubation time of 5 min and pH = 7. The results indicate that the sensor has a relatively wide detection range, high sensitivity, obvious recognition features, and excellent stability for 2-MBA and 3-MBA. This new dual template molecularly imprinted sensor can quickly and accurately determine the safety of highly toxic intermediates in the degradation process of aromatic organic pollutants, providing a theoretical basis and application potential for trace detection and real-time monitoring.