Abstract
This study presents an efficient method for detecting oxytetracycline, which is critical in environmental monitoring and food safety. A highly sensitive detection platform was developed by combining molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with silica as a carrier, modified with deep eutectic solvents (DES), and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor. The MIPs were specifically designed to target oxytetracycline hydrochloride, using SiO(2) as the carrier, DES as the functional monomer, N, N-methylenebisacrylamide as the crosslinker, and ammonium persulfate as the initiator. The MIPs exhibited an adsorption capacity of 27.23 mg/g for oxytetracycline hydrochloride. After modification of the MIPs onto a gold electrode surface, a QCM-based sensor platform was constructed. The sensor demonstrated an exceptionally low detection limit of 0.019 ng/mL for oxytetracycline and exhibited excellent sensitivity in tap water. Furthermore, the sensor maintained over 90% detection performance after two weeks of room-temperature storage, indicating its stability. This method provides a rapid, highly sensitive approach for oxytetracycline detection, with potential for future improvements and widespread application in antibiotic testing.