Overcoming Template Surface Blocking: Geraniol Adsorption Studies Guiding MIP-Based Sensor Design

To develop molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based biosensors effectively, it is necessary to evaluate the potential adsorption of materials onto the electrode surface. Therefore, we investigated the adsorption of geraniol and pyrrole and compared them. In addition to determining adsorption constants, particular focus was placed on adsorption mechanisms, as they directly influence monolayer or multilayer formation, template removal efficiency, and the selectivity of the final imprinted structure. To achieve this, we employed various electrochemical methods, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements. Measurements were repeated to ensure reliability. The findings were used to calculate adsorption constants using the Langmuir equation. Geraniol and pyrrole showed adsorption constants of 21.5 L/mol and 31.7 L/mol, respectively, indicating strong molecular interactions. These results indicate strong interactions between the two molecules, suggesting that geraniol influences electrode polymerization. This led to the importance of proper surface preparation, evaluation of analyte-monomer interactions, and the opportunity to reuse materials.