The successful performance of a chemical sensor depends on the appropriate choice of recognition element and transducer. Schematic of a chemical sensor, characterized by a recognition element and a transducer close to each other. Sensor performance is characterized by selectivity, sensitivity, stability, and reusability. Selectivity, a measure of how well a chemical sensor discriminates between the analyte and compounds of similar, or different, chemical structure, is principally determined by the recognition component within the sensor device. In this context, recognition elements of biological origin, such as enzymes and antibodies, are especially promising.
Sensitivity is determined by the recognition element and the transducer.
This, in part, slowed down the application of biosensors. A new generation of biosensors MIPs have unique properties that make them especially suitable for sensor technology. However, because these arrangements do not fulfill the criterion that a biosensor have the recognition element and transducer in close proximity, they cannot be considered biomimetic sensors in the strict sense. However, the results were qualitative. The difference in signal between the sensor and a reference sensor correlated well with the concentration of the analyte.