Low-Cost Lead-Ion Imprinted Polymer Membrane Microfluidic Sensor for Selective Trace Lead Monitoring in Water

This study introduces an innovative electrochemical micro fluidic sensor incorporating a stand-alone Lead-ion Imprinted Polymer (Pb<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup>+_IIP) membrane for highly selective and trace lead ion detection in water. Unlike conventional sensors, this design embeds the Pb<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup>+ - lIP membrane between two in-situ fabricated conductive electrodes within a microfluidic device, enabling direct analyte-membrane interactions for enhanced electrochemical signal generation. The novel architecture simplifies sensor fabrication while improving sensitivity, selectivity, and cost-effectiveness, making it a promising solution for point-of-need water quality monitoring.