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Polymers
Volume 17
Issue 3
10.3390/polym17030326
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Cutting-Edge Sensor Design: MIP Nanoparticle-Functionalized Nanofibers for Gas-Phase Detection of Limonene in Predictive Agriculture

by
Fabricio Nicolàs Molinari
1,2,
Marcello Marelli
3,
Enrico Berretti
4,
Simone Serrecchia
1,
Roxana Elisabeth Coppola
2,
Fabrizio De Cesare
1,5 and
Antonella Macagnano
1,*
1
Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (IIA)-CNR, 00010 Montelibretti, RM, Italy
2
National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI), Buenos Aires B1650WAB, Argentina
3
Institute of Science and Chemical Technologies “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC)-CNR, 20138 Milano, MI, Italy
4
Institute for the Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds (ICCOM)-CNR, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
5
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agrofood and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, VT, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2025, 17(3), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030326
Submission received: 29 December 2024 / Revised: 21 January 2025 / Accepted: 22 January 2025 / Published: 25 January 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Molecularly Imprinted Polymer)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

As population growth and climate change intensify pressures on agriculture, innovative strategies are vital for ensuring food security, optimizing resources, and protecting the environment. This study introduces a novel approach to predictive agriculture by utilizing the unique properties of terpenes, specifically S(-)-limonene, emitted by plants under stress. Advanced sensors capable of detecting subtle limonene variations offer the potential for early stress diagnosis and precise crop interventions. This research marks a significant leap in sensor technology, introducing an innovative active sensing material that combines molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technology with electrospinning. S(-)-limonene-selective MIP nanoparticles, engineered using methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), were synthesized with an average diameter of ~160 nm and integrated into polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers reinforced with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). This design produced a conductive and highly responsive sensing layer. The sensor exhibited rapid stabilization (200 s), a detection limit (LOD) of 190 ppb, and a selectivity index of 73% against similar monoterpenes. Optimal performance was achieved at 55% relative humidity, highlighting environmental conditions’ importance. This pioneering use of polymeric MIP membranes in chemiresistive sensors for limonene detection opens new possibilities for monitoring VOCs, with applications in agricultural stress biomarkers, contaminant detection, and air quality monitoring, advancing precision agriculture and environmental protection.
Keywords: molecular imprinted polymers; BVOCs; monoterpenes; electrospinning; nanoparticles; nanofibers; conductive sensors; limonene; predictive agriculture molecular imprinted polymers; BVOCs; monoterpenes; electrospinning; nanoparticles; nanofibers; conductive sensors; limonene; predictive agriculture

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MDPI and ACS Style

Molinari, F.N.; Marelli, M.; Berretti, E.; Serrecchia, S.; Coppola, R.E.; De Cesare, F.; Macagnano, A. Cutting-Edge Sensor Design: MIP Nanoparticle-Functionalized Nanofibers for Gas-Phase Detection of Limonene in Predictive Agriculture. Polymers 2025, 17, 326. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030326

AMA Style

Molinari FN, Marelli M, Berretti E, Serrecchia S, Coppola RE, De Cesare F, Macagnano A. Cutting-Edge Sensor Design: MIP Nanoparticle-Functionalized Nanofibers for Gas-Phase Detection of Limonene in Predictive Agriculture. Polymers. 2025; 17(3):326. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030326

Chicago/Turabian Style

Molinari, Fabricio Nicolàs, Marcello Marelli, Enrico Berretti, Simone Serrecchia, Roxana Elisabeth Coppola, Fabrizio De Cesare, and Antonella Macagnano. 2025. "Cutting-Edge Sensor Design: MIP Nanoparticle-Functionalized Nanofibers for Gas-Phase Detection of Limonene in Predictive Agriculture" Polymers 17, no. 3: 326. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030326

APA Style

Molinari, F. N., Marelli, M., Berretti, E., Serrecchia, S., Coppola, R. E., De Cesare, F., & Macagnano, A. (2025). Cutting-Edge Sensor Design: MIP Nanoparticle-Functionalized Nanofibers for Gas-Phase Detection of Limonene in Predictive Agriculture. Polymers, 17(3), 326. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030326

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