Electrochemical Characterization of a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Sensor for the Selective Recognition of Type II Collagen in Joint Degeneration Monitoring

Type II collagen is a primary fibrillar component of articular cartilage, and its early degradation is a key biomarker of joint-degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, etc. Reliable detection at low concentrations remains challenging due to limited assay accessibility, complex analytical procedures, and nonspecific responses in multicomponent biological matrices. This research reports the development of a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP)-based electrochemical sensor engineered for the selective recognition of type II collagen. A series of monomer formulations were evaluated, and the 1AAM:2VP composition produced a well-defined imprinted layer on screen-printed carbon electrodes, yielding the highest electrochemical sensitivity and linearity. The optimized sensor exhibited strong anodic and cathodic responses proportional to increasing collagen concentrations, with a calibration slope corresponding to an R² value of 0.9394. Minimal signal interference was observed, confirming high molecular selectivity. The limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be approximately 0.065 µg/mL. These characteristics demonstrate that the proposed MIP sensor provides a low-cost, accessible, and highly selective analytical platform suitable for early-stage cartilage degeneration monitoring.