Polymer based sensors for detecting agricultural analytes and methods of making same

A method of preparing a molecularly imprinted polymer in the form of a xerogel film for detecting one or more agricultural analytes, the method comprising:

• preparing a mixture of precursors comprising:
• a crosslinking organosilane;
• a functional organosilane;
• water;
• and
• an acid or a base;
• dissolving one or more agricultural analytes in one or more porogens to form an agricultural analyte solution;
• mixing the mixture of precursors and the agricultural analyte solution with a cross-linker and, optionally, a catalyst until a sol forms;
• coating the sol on a pre-cleaned sensor to form a coated sol;
• drying the coated sol to transform the coated sol into a xerogel film;
• and
• flowing a porogen over the xerogel film to remove the one or more agricultural analytes thereby forming a molecularly imprinted polymer in the form of a xerogel film.