Ag-ZnS Embedded Polymeric Receptors for the Recognition of Human Serum Albumin

The detection of human serum albumin (HSA) is significant clinical importance in disease diagnoses. In this work, polymer-based synthetic receptors are designed by incorporating Ag-ZnS microspheres molecularly imprinted poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (MIPs) for the gravimetric HSA. Among different compositions Ag-ZnS@MIPs, MIPs having methacrylic acid and ethylene dimethacrylate volume ratio 3:2 exhibit enhanced HSA sensitivity concentration range 5–200 ng/mL. A remarkably low threshold limit (LOD = 0.364 ng/mL) achieved with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) based sensors. Furthermore, Ag-ZnS@MIPs/QCM sensors show high selectivity compared to other proteins, e.g., bovine (BSA), glycoprotein, ribonuclease, lysozyme. Hence, quantification realizes a highly sensitive, selective, label-free mechanism down 1.1