17-Estradiol (E2) residues in food with concentration range even as low as 1-10 pM can cause serious diseases such as early puberty in children and can also increase the risk of ovarian and breast cancer in women. In this work, we report on the development and optimization of an impedimetric sensor for high sensitive detection of E2 based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP). The MIP layer was synthesized via electro-polymerization by cyclic voltammetry onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-modified screen printed carbon ink electrode (SPCE). The electrode provides a detection limit below 10 fM in aqueous buffer solutions with a linear relationship in concentration range from 100 fM to 10 nM. The new result is obtained by thorough optimization of the density of AuNPs and the thickness of p-ATP layer with Faradaic impedance spectroscopy as readout method. The sensor showed an excellent regeneration capability, a good stability with time, and a surprisingly low cross selectivity compared to other proteins.
