Introduction Metronidazole (MTZ: 1 beta-hydroxyethyl-2-methyl-5nitromidazole), as a synthetic antibiotic belonging to the nitroimidazole class, is an antibacterial and anti-protozoal agent. 1 It is most widely used to treat infectious diseases caused by anaerobic bacteria and protozoa. 2 However, due to its ring structure, it can cause carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic and genetic toxicities to humans. 3-5 Therefore, it is very important to develop highly sensitive and rapid methods for MTZ determination. For this purpose, a variety of analytical methods have been used so far, including different versions of high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, 6-9 thin layer chromatography, 10,11 gas chromatography, 12,13 and spectrophotometry. 14,15 The above-mentioned methods suffer from technical problems in drug separation and detection, such as being costly and time-consuming and needing large amounts of samples. Most importantly, separation of MTZ by those techniques needs purification and pre-concentration. In this context, electrochemical methods prove to be of benefit due to their low cost, simple operation, fast response, and ease of handling. 16-18 Many researchers have reported that modification of electrodes by using nanoparticles and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) is a key step to design, fabricate, and operate sensors and biosensors. 18-20 Nanomaterials can improve the sensitivity of nanosensors by enhancing the electron transfer rate and expanding the actual surface area of electrodes. 21-23 In addition, MIPs have advantages such as simplicity, low cost and high selectivity. At the same time, unlike other materials, they are effective even for ultra-trace quantities. 24,25 The MIP electrochemical sensors can be made in a variety of ways including bulk polymerization, sol-gel process,
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