Rapid and sensitive detection of synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018, JWH-073 and their metabolites using molecularly imprinted polymer-coated QCM nanosensor in artificial saliva

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), which are becoming increasingly popular, are an important public health issue considering the common abuse uses and serious adverse effects associated with intoxication. The analysis for controlling the increase in synthetic cannabinoids usage requires a faster and highly sensitive detection that rapidly developing class compounds. In this study, a piezoelectric nanosensor coated with a synthetic biomimetic recognition nanoparticles polymer was designed for the real-time and highly sensitive synthetic cannabinoids (SCs: JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-018 pentanoic acid and JWH-073 butanoic acid) detection. Synthetic cannabinoids imprinted (MIP) and non-imprinted (NIP) nanoparticles were synthesized. Firstly, the characterization of MIP and NIP nanoparticles were studied by FTIR-ATR, scanning electron microscope, and size measurements. After, nanoparticles were spread onto a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) chip. Different QCM chip surfaces were studied by contact angle, ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy measurements. Selective rebinding of target analytes was monitored as a frequency shift measuring mass change with the QCM. Limit of detection values were calculated as 0.28, 0.3, 0.23, 0.29 pg/mL for these SCs in artificial saliva, respectively. The SCs-MIP QCM nanosensors displayed high sensitivity and selectivity in a wide concentration range of SCs (0.0005–1.0 ng/mL) in artificial saliva.