Drug-Checking with Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: Addressing Xylazine-Contaminated Fentanyl.

ABSTRACT: Xylazine adulterated Fentanyl is considered one of the deadliest drug threats ever faced in the United States. However, due to the complexity of the illegal drug supply, xylazine detection in the frame of drug-checking (harm reduction) remains an unsolved challenge, one which has cost numerous lives across North America. In this work, we present two sensor platforms for detecting xylazine in drug-checking applications. Both platforms are based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) using vinyl phosphonic acid as the main monomer. By combining the MIPs with thermometric and colorimetric readouts, we achieved xylazine detection in a wide concentration range, relevant in real-world scenarios. First, the heat-transfer method (HTM) allowed xylazine detection in the low concentration range wit

SUBMITTER: Marroquin-Garcia R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12670990 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature