Molecularly imprinted polymer-based passive sensor

1. A method for detecting one or more target molecules emitted from microbial sources, the method comprising:

providing a system comprising a molecularly imprinted polymer film including a polymer host with one or more binding sites for detection of one or more target molecules, wherein the one or more target molecules are airborne, the molecularly imprinted polymer film being formed by coating a liquid polymer solution, including the target molecule, onto a strain sensitive film configured to enable detection of the target molecule via a change of at least one of color, electrical resistance, and electrical conductivity in response to strain induced by binding of the target molecule to the one or more binding sites;

exposing said system to a gas, air sample, or vapor; and

measuring the change of said system, wherein said change is used to detect said one or more target molecules emitted from microbial sources in said gas, air sample, or vapor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more target molecules are volatile organic molecules.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change is a color change upon detection of the one or more target molecules.

4. A method for producing a strain sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer film for detection of one or more target molecules emitted from microbial sources, the method comprising:

dissolving a polymer host comprising a structural component and a reporting component in a first solvent to form a first solution;

adding a target molecule to said first solution;

mixing said target molecule into said first solution to form a molecularly imprinted polymer solution;

coating said molecularly imprinted polymer solution onto a strain sensitive film to form molecularly imprinted polymer film including a polymer host with one or more binding sites for the target molecule, the target molecule being airborne, the strain sensitive film configured to enable detection of the target molecule via change of at least one of color, electrical resistance, and electrical conductivity in response to strain induced by binding of the target molecule to the one or more binding sites; and

removing the target molecule to form a strain sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer film.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the coating comprises spin or dip coating.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the removing the target molecule comprises:

extracting the target molecule from the strain sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer film using a second solvent,

wherein the polymer host is insoluble in the second solvent, and

wherein the target molecule is soluble in said second solvent.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first solvent has a boiling point lower than the boiling point of the target molecule, and wherein the removing the target molecule comprises evaporating the target molecule from the strain sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer film.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the target molecule is selected from the group consisting of: 1,3-octadiene, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-butanol, 2-methylfuran, 3-methylfuran, anisole, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first solvent is selected from the group consisting of: alcohols, dimethylformamide, water, chloroform, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the structural component is selected from the group consisting of: nylon-6, polyethyleneimine, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinylphenol, polyvinylpyrrolidinone, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the strain sensitive film comprises polydiacetylene.

12. The method of claim 4 , wherein the polymer host ranges from about 2 percent to about 15 percent by weight with respect to the first solvent in the first solution.

13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the target molecule ranges from about 2 percent to about 10 percent by weight with respect to the first solvent in the molecularly imprinted polymer solution.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer solution comprises from about 2 to about 15 percent by weight of the structural component and the reporting component, and from about 2 to about 10 percent by weight of said target molecule.

15. The method of claim 4 , wherein the strain sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer film composition comprises a molar ratio of about 1 to 1 of the structural component and the reporting component.

16. A system for detecting a target molecule, comprising:

a molecularly imprinted polymer film including a polymer host with one or more binding sites for the target molecule, the target molecule being airborne; and

a strain sensitive film in contact with the molecularly imprinted polymer film and configured to enable detection of the target molecule via change of at least one of color, electrical resistance, and electrical conductivity in response to strain induced by binding of the target molecule to the one or more binding sites;

the molecularly imprinted polymer film being formed by coating a liquid polymer solution, including the target molecule, onto the strain sensitive film.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a housing at least partially surrounding the molecularly imprinted polymer film, the housing forming an air inlet for conducting an air sample, including the target molecule, to the molecularly imprinted polymer film.

18. The system of claim 16 , the molecularly imprinted polymer film being imprinted with the target molecule or a molecule homologous to the target molecule, wherein the target molecule is an airborne molecule selected from the group consisting of: 1,3-octadiene, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-butanol, 2-methylfuran, 3-methylfuran, anisole, and combinations thereof.

19. The system of claim 16 , the molecularly imprinted polymer film being imprinted with the target molecule or a molecule homologous to the target molecule, wherein the target molecule is an airborne volatile organic molecule.

20. The system of claim 16 , the strain sensitive film being configured to change color upon said binding of the target molecule.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the strain sensitive film comprises polydiacetylene.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer film comprises antigens.

23. The system of claim 16 , wherein the target molecule comprises 3-methylfuran.

24. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

one or more light emitting diodes configured to illuminate the molecularly imprinted polymer film; and

one or more detectors configured to receive light reflected off the molecularly imprinted polymer film to detect color change of the strain sensitive film.

25. The system of claim 16 , configured to transmit, out of the system, a wireless signal in response to absorption of the target molecule by the molecularly imprinted polymer film.

26. The system of claim 16 , thickness of the molecularly imprinted polymer film being between 1 and 500 nanometers.

27. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a substrate, the strain sensitive film being coated onto the substrate, and the molecularly imprinted film being coated onto the strain sensitive film.

28. The system of claim 27 , further comprising one or more additional molecularly imprinted polymer films coated onto different respective regions of the strain sensitive film, each of the molecularly imprinted film and the one or more additional molecularly imprinted polymer films including binding sites for different respective target molecules, to enable multiplexed detection of the different respective target molecules via the strain sensitive film.

29. A system for detecting target molecules, comprising:

two or more molecularly imprinted polymer films comprising a polymer host with one or more binding sites for different respective target molecules, the target molecules being airborne;

a strain sensitive film in contact with the one or more molecularly imprinted polymer films and configured to enable detection of target molecules via change of at least one of color, electrical resistance, and electrical conductivity in response to strain induced by binding of the target molecule to the one or more binding sites; and

a substrate, the strain sensitive film being coated onto the substrate, and the molecularly imprinted film being coated onto the strain sensitive film;

wherein the two or more molecularly imprinted polymer films are coated onto different respective regions of the strain sensitive film, to enable multiplexed detection of the different respective target molecules via the strain sensitive film.