A MXene-based molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor for sensitive detection of chloramphenicol in aquaculture seawater

A molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor (MIPs/MXene/GCE) was fabricated for the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) in aquaculture seawater. MXene nanosheets were first drop-cast on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to accelerate electron transfer, followed by electro-polymerization of o -phenylenediamine around CAP templates to form a thin recognition film. After systematic optimization of MXene loading, elution cycles (20 CV scans), buffer pH (6.0), and adsorption time (10 min), the sensor exhibited two linear ranges, 0.1–5 μM and 5–200 μM, with a limit of detection of 0.017 μM. In spiked seawater samples, recoveries ranged from 90.4% to 105.2%. The innovative sensor provided rapid, selective, and robust quantification of trace CAP in complex saline matrices, thereby offering a practical tool for on-site antibiotics monitoring in mariculture environments.