Comparison of three cross‐linking agents for imprinting diethylstilbestrol in solid‐phase extraction

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been heavily studied for years. However, most efforts focused on functional monomer and particular study of cross‐linking agents on imprinting effect and pore structure is rare. In this paper, diethylstilbestrol (DES) imprinted polymers cross‐linked by three types of agents and their imprinting effects in solid‐phase extraction (SPE) were discussed. Evolution of UV spectral and simulation of cross‐linking agents or monomer mixed with DES revealed that there was a particular interaction between divinylbenzene and DES. Clear imprinting effects towards DES showed for divinylbenzene made imprinted polymer (DM), with imprinting factors up to 16.02 (STD = 2.20), while the other two imprinted polymers showed limited effects with imprinting factors of 4.95 (STD = 0.45) and 1.63 (STD = 0.54). Specific surface areas, pore volumes, and pore size distributions of the particles also confirmed that DM showed distinguished structure, and the average pore size of it was just fit the size of DES and bisphenol A (BPA), while no pore was found in divinylbenzene made blank polymer. Other imprinted and non‐imprinted polymers showed no pore or big pores relatively. These results show that the cross‐linking monomer is not merely an inert component for the MIPs, it could play a positive role in promoting interactions with the template to afford molecular recognition in imprinting DES. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

胆酸印迹聚合物的制备及在含水介质中的结合性能

为了在含水介质中进行有效印迹,本研究中以双甲基丙烯酰-β-环糊精（BMA-β-CD）和2-(二乙基胺基)乙基甲基丙烯酸酯(DEAEM)为功能单体制备了胆酸印迹聚合物MIP1,并用平衡结合实验研究了MIP1在含水介质中对模板分子的识别能力。结果表明,MIP1比单独以BMA-β-CD或DEAEM为功能单体制备的印迹聚合物MIP2和MIP3,显示出对模板分子更好的选择性结合能力。MIP1的特异性吸附量ΔCP为38.81μmol/g,印迹因子IF为2.46。研究表明,在含水介质中,利用模板分子与功能单体之间的疏水作用和离子作用是提高印迹聚合物分子识别能力的关键。研究还表明,在识别过程中,疏水作用在驱动分子进入印迹孔穴时起重要作用。     

Chromatographic characterization of molecularly imprinted polymers

Recent efforts in the investigation of chromatographic characterization of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have focused mainly on the nature of heterogeneous binding sites. More data on the thermodynamics than on the kinetic features of MIP columns have been published. The present article addresses the sources of peak broadening and tailing, which are the main drawbacks often associated with imprinted polymers in chromatography for practical applications. With use of the theory of nonlinear chromatography, the peak properties of a MIP column, including the retention and peak broadening and tailing, can be well interpreted. Efforts to improve chromatographic efficiency using MIPs prepared by approaches different from the conventional method, including covalent imprinting and the format of uniformly sized spherical microbeads, are reviewed and discussed. This review leads to the conclusion that nonlinear chromatography theory is useful for characterizing chromatographic features of MIP columns, since a MIP is essentially an affinity-based chromatographic stationary phase. We expect more theoretical and experimental studies on the kinetic aspects of MIP columns, especially the factors influencing the apparent rate constant, as well as the analysis of the influences of mobile-phase composition on the chromatographic performance. In addition to revealing the affinity interaction by molecular recognition, slow nonspecific interactions which may be inherited from the imperfect imprinting and may be involved in the rebinding of the template to MIPs also need to be characterized. Figure The peak broadening and tailing associated often with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in column chromatography for practical applications can be well characterized by the theory of nonlinear chromatography.     

Preparation of a novel lysozyme molecularly imprinted polymer using uniformly sized functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres as the matrix and its application to lysozyme purification

A novel lysozyme imprinted polymer based on uniformly sized functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres has been synthesized in aqueous solution using the surface imprinting technique. The microspheres were modified with hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate to allow for the introduction of polymerizable double bonds, with β‐cyclodextrin and acrylamide being grafted onto the surface as functional monomers. The selective recognition properties of the resulting molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were investigated by HPLC. Various factors were also investigated in terms of their influence on the retention behaviors of the imprinted polymers, including the pH and salt concentration of the mobile phase. The binding capability properties of the MIPs were evaluated, and the P_GMA/EDMA‐MIPs showed a high adsorption capacity for lysozyme. Furthermore, this MIP was used to separate and enrich lysozyme from egg whites. The results revealed that the lysozyme surface‐modified MIP could be used to efficiently separate and purify lysozyme from egg whites. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

美托洛尔球形分子烙印聚合物的制备及吸附性能考察

以聚苯乙烯乳液为种球，以药品美托洛尔为模板分子，甲基丙烯酸为功能单体，二甲基丙烯酸乙二醇酯为交联剂，采用两步溶胀和种子悬浮聚合方法，通过优化反应条件，制得单分散性优良的球形分子烙印聚合物（molecularly imprinted polymers，MIPs）。重点讨论了致孔剂、分散剂和乳化剂的选择、搅拌速度对聚合物的粒径大小和分布、表观形态及吸附性能等的影响。通过聚合物对几种β-受体类药物分子的平衡吸附实验表明，MIP对模板分子美托洛尔具有良好的识别能力。     

核-壳型赤藓红分子印迹聚合物的制备及吸附性能的评价

以氨基化修饰的SiO_2为内核,人工合成色素赤藓红为模板,甲醇/水为溶剂,4-乙烯基吡啶为功能单体,二甲基丙烯酸乙二醇酯为交联剂,偶氮二异丁腈为引发剂,采用表面印迹技术,制备核-壳型赤藓红分子印迹聚合物。通过红外光谱对其结构进行表征,并通过动力学吸附、等温饱和吸附和实际样品加标实验对其吸附性能进行评价。结果表明,核-壳型赤藓红分子印迹聚合物具有较快的吸附能力,在15min左右达到吸附平衡,有较好的吸附容量,能够从复杂的食品样品中选择性吸附模板,且回收可达85%。     

Chromatographic behavior of silica-polymer composite molecularly imprinted materials

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) have recently been prepared inside the pores of silica based HPLC packing materials. Detailed physical and chromatographic characterization of such a silica-MIP composite material is presented. The chromatographic peak shape obtained with the uniformly sized spherical silica-MIP composite is mainly determined by the nonlinear adsorption isotherm. Comparison of the composite with the conventional sieved and grinded bulk MIP is therefore based on the nonlinear isotherm and not on retention factors and plate numbers.     

Molecular imprinting polymerization by Fenton reaction

The aim of this study is the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers by employing a redox pair as initiator system. Bulk molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized by using Fenton reagents as initiator system. Theophylline, methacrylic acid, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate were employed as model template, functional monomer, and crosslinking agent, respectively. Conventional imprinted polymers were also prepared by using 2,2′-azoisobutyronitrile in order to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed initiator system. Redox molecularly imprinted polymers and conventional molecularly imprinted polymers were characterized by water uptake measurement, while the imprinting effect of synthesized polymers were evaluated by performing binding experiments in organic (acetonitrile) and in water (buffered water solution at pH = 7.4) media.     

孔雀石绿分子印迹聚合物的制备及其吸附

采用本体聚合法制备了孔雀石绿分子印迹聚合物,对功能单体的种类及用量、交联剂用量、模板浓度和聚合时间等参数进行了优化,并通过等温吸附实验,考察聚合物的吸附性能。 结果表明,以α-甲基丙烯酸为功能单体,当孔雀石绿、α-甲基丙烯酸和乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯的摩尔比为1∶4∶20时,所合成的聚合物具有最大的吸附容量,印迹因子（α=QMIP/QNIP）可达到3.6,表明合成的印迹聚合物对孔雀石绿有良好的识别和富集能力。     

Via protoporphyrin to the synthesis of levofloxacin‐imprinted polymer

A new molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for levofloxacin was prepared by the combined use of methacrylic acid and protoporphyrin as functional monomers. The adsorption properties of resultant imprinted polymers were evaluated by equilibrium rebinding experiments. The highest binding capacity of levofloxacin achieved from the optimized imprinted polymer in acetonitrile was 246.26 µmol/g with an imprinting factor of 2.05. A ?uorescence quenching effect was observed when a protoporphyrin‐based imprinted polymer was incubated in the solutions of levofloxacin. The results indicated that the protoporphyrin‐based MIPs were able to create higher binding cavities for template compared with MIPs using only methacrylic acid as a functional monomer. It should be expected that the cooperative use of the protoporphyrin with supplemental different functional monomers may be an alternative to obtain MIP with the improvement of the selectivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A connection between the binding properties of imprinted and nonimprinted polymers: a change of perspective in molecular imprinting

In the current paradigm for molecular imprinting, the imprinted binding sites exist as a consequence of the polymerization process around templates, and the properties of nonimprinted polymers (NIPs) have largely been overlooked. Thus, nothing can be affirmed a priori concerning the binding properties of NIPs. We propose an alternative view where the imprinting effect is due to the presence of a template molecule that enhances the pre-existing binding properties of a polymer. If a NIP shows no binding properties toward a target molecule, the corresponding imprinted polymer (MIP) will show a weak imprinting effect. On the other hand, if a NIP shows binding properties toward a target molecule, the corresponding MIP will show a significant imprinting effect. To verify this hypothesis, we prepared a 96-member combinatorial polymeric library in the absence of any template molecule. This library was screened for several potential ligands, and with no exceptions, the composition of the best-binding NIP produced a MIP with excellent binding properties, whereas a low-binding NIP formulation produced a MIP with comparable low binding. To validate these results, the binding properties toward naproxen and ibuprofen were measured for two combinatorial libraries of polymers prepared in the presence (MIP library) and the absence (NIP library) of the template molecule. The experiment's results showed a correlation between the apparent affinity constants measured for the NIP and MIP libraries, confirming the proposed hypothesis. Moreover, for closely related molecules, it was shown that binding selectivity is an emergent property derived from the imprinting process and not a property of NIPs.     

Core-shell nanostructured molecular imprinting fluorescent chemosensor for selective detection of atrazine herbicide

To convert the binding events on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) into physically detectable signals and to extract the templates completely are the great challenges in developing MIP-based sensors. In this paper, a core-shell nanostructure was employed in constructing the MIP chemosensor for the improvements of template extraction efficiency and imprinted sites accessibility. Vinyl-substituted zinc(II) protoporphyrin (ZnPP) was used as both fluorescent reporter and functional monomer to synthesize atrazine-imprinted polymer shell at silica nanoparticle cores. The template atrazine coordinates with the Lewis acid binding site Zn of ZnPP to form a complex for the molecular imprinting polymerization. These imprinted sites are located in polymer matrix of the thin shells (~8 nm), possessing better accessibility and lower mass-transfer resistance for the target molecules. The fluorescence properties of ZnPP around the imprinted sites will vary upon rebinding of atrazine to these imprinted sites, realizing the conversion of rebinding events into detectable signals by monitoring fluorescence spectra. This MIP probe showed a limit of detection (LOD) of about 1.8 μM for atrazine detection. The core-shell nanostructured MIP method not only improves the sensitivity, but also shows high selectivity for atrazine detection when compared with the non-molecular imprinted counterparts.     

Combination of computational methods,adsorption isotherms and selectivity tests for the conception of a mixed non-covalent–semi-covalent molecularly imprinted polymer of vanillin

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for vanillin was prepared by photo initiated polymerization in dichloromethane using a mixed semi-covalent and non-covalent imprinting strategy. Taking polymerisable syringaldehyde as “dummy” template, acrylamide was chosen as functional monomer on B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) density functional theory computational method basis with counterpoise. The binding parameters for the recognition of vanillin on imprinted polymers were studied with three different isotherm models (Langmuir, bi-Langmuir and Langmuir–Freundlich) and compared. The results indicate an heterogeneity of binding sites. It was found and proved by DFT calculations that the specific binding of vanillin in the cavities is due to non-covalent interactions of the template with the hydroxyphenyl- and the amide-moieties. The binding geometry of vanillin in the MIP cavity was also modelled. The obtained MIP is highly specific for vanillin (with an imprinting factor of 7.4) and was successfully applied to the extraction of vanillin from vanilla pods, red wine spike with vanillin, natural and artificial vanilla sugar with a recovery of 80%.     

Dual‐templates molecularly imprinted monolithic columns for the evaluation of serotonin and histamine in CEC

To extend the application of molecularly imprinted polymers, the dual‐templates molecularly imprinted monolithic columns were developed in a capillary format. Two templates serotonin and histamine were simultaneously imprinted using two different functional monomers such as methacrylic acid (MAA) and methylenesuccinic acid (MSA) in a mixture of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as a cross‐linker and AIBN as polymerization initiator dissolved in DMF as porogen. The resulting molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) were characterized based on their performance in the CEC separation of two imprinted templates. The optimization parameters such as pH, ACN composition, and concentration of the eluent were varied to achieve best resolution and efficiency for CEC separation of templates with each MIP column. It was found that the MIP monolith column fabricated using MSA offered better resolution and separation efficiency compared to column fabricated with MAA. This work utilized the dual‐templates imprinting approach successfully and broadens the scope of multi‐templates imprinting capabilities in capillary format in CEC application.     

分子印迹手性分离过程的热力学研究

以丙烯酰胺为功能单体, 以二甲基丙烯酸乙二醇酯为交联剂, 在模板分子N-叔丁氧羰酰-L-色氨酸(N-Boc-L-Trp)和N-叔丁氧羰酰-L-酪氨酸(N-Boc-L-Tyr)的存在下, 分别采用光引发聚合和热引发聚合制备了N-Boc-L-Trp和N-Boc-L-Tyr的分子印迹聚合物(MIPs), 进行分子印迹手性分离过程的热力学研究. 测定了分离过程的熵变、焓变和自由能变化. 结果显示, 在流动相中添加异丙醇或甲醇等强氢键竞争性溶剂时, 熵变对分离起到了主要作用, 而且分离过程中的溶剂化对分离的影响也非常大. 分子印迹聚合物对印迹分子和非印迹分子进行分子识别的主要作用是印迹聚合物与印迹分子匹配的三维空间结构.     

Preparation of sterol-imprinted polymers with the use of 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphate.

Steroid-selective polymers were prepared by the molecular imprinting technique, using 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphate as functional monomer. The retentivity and selectivity of the obtained imprinted polymers were evaluated by liquid chromatography. The cholesterol-imprinted polymer showed higher affinity for cholesterol than that for cholesterol derivatives. The selectivity of the imprinted polymer was superior to the imprinted polymer prepared with the conventional functional monomer, 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid. Estradiol was also imprinted and gave similar results, demonstrating that 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphate would be suitable for imprinted polymers of cholesterol and related compounds.     

硅胶表面亮菌甲素分子印迹聚合物的制备及其性能研究

采用光接枝印迹方法,在硅胶微球表面制备了以亮菌甲素为模板分子、2-乙烯基吡啶为功能单体的分子印迹聚合物,采用荧光法优选了功能单体及比例,进一步用荧光法对印迹聚合物的吸附特性和印迹效率进行评价.结果表明.该印迹聚合物对模板分子具有特异吸附性能,印迹效率为48.6%.     

3-氨基苯硼酸为功能单体在壳聚糖上印迹牛血清白蛋白的研究

以壳聚糖为载体, 3-氨基苯硼酸为功能单体对牛血清白蛋白进行了分子印迹的研究, 并对吸附过程进行Langmuir等温吸附模型的数据处理. 结果表明, 印迹聚合物上形成了对于模板分子有较高的吸附容量和选择性的识别位点, Langmuir等温吸附平衡常数为49.5 mL/mg, 结合位点的最大表观结合量为16.3 mg/g, 证明了该印迹聚合物对于牛血红蛋白和溶菌酶这些非模板蛋白的吸附不具有选择性.     

CEC separation of ofloxacin enantiomers using imprinted microparticles prepared in molecular crowding conditions

Molecular crowding is a new concept to obtain molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with greater capacity and selectivity, which could shift the equilibrium of a print molecule reacting with functional monomers in the direction of complex formation side. In this work, molecular crowding agent was first applied to the preparation of MIPs microparticles by precipitation polymerization. A new system of molecular crowding surrounding was developed, composed of polystyrene and tetrahydrofuran, in the presence of the template (S)-ofloxacin. Partial filling capillary electrochromatography (CEC) was utilized to evaluate imprinting effect of the resulting microparticles by chiral separations of ofloxacin. Some important parameters in the preparation, i.e. template to monomer ratio, influence of cross-linking monomers and functional monomer composition on the CEC separation of MIP microparticles were investigated. Baseline separation of ofloxacin (R(s) =1.53) was obtained under optimized conditions and the highest theory plate of the later eluent (S)-ofloxacin was 5400. The textural and morphological parameters for imprinted particles, such as Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas, pore volumes and pore size distributions have also been determined. Compared to the MIP microparticle prepared by conventional precipitation polymerization, the (S)-ofloxacin-imprinted particles formed under molecular crowding conditions showed higher selectivity (α=1.09) and separation efficiency (<25 min) in the CEC mode.     

Synthesis of caffeic acid molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres and high-performance liquid chromatography evaluation of their sorption properties

In the current work, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been synthesised and used to enable the extraction of a naturally-occurring antioxidant from complex media. More specifically, we describe the first example of a caffeic acid (CA) MIP which has been synthesised in the form of well-defined polymer microspheres, and its use for the extraction of CA from fruit juice sample. The CA MIP was synthesised by precipitation polymerisation using 4-vinylpyridine as functional monomer, divinylbenzene-80 as crosslinker and acetonitrile:toluene (75/25, v/v) as porogen. The particle sizing and morphological characterisation of the polymers was carried out by means of scanning electron microscopy (narrow particle size distribution; ～5 and 1.5 μm particle diameters for the MIP and NIP [non-imprinted polymer], respectively) and nitrogen sorption porosimetry (specific surface areas of 340 and 350 m(2)g(-1), and specific pore volumes of 0.17 and 0.19 cm(3)g(-1) for the MIP and NIP, respectively). The polymers were evaluated further by batch rebinding experiments, and from the derived isotherms their binding capacity and binding strength were determined (number of binding sites (N(K))=0.6 and 0.3 mmol g(-1) for the MIP and NIP, respectively, and apparent average adsorption constant (K(N))=10.0 and 1.6L mmol(-1) for the MIP and NIP, respectively). To evaluate the molecular recognition character of the MIP it was packed into a stainless steel column (50 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.) and evaluated as an HPLC-stationary phase. The mobile phase composition, flow rate, and the elution profile were then optimised in order to improve the peak shape without negatively affecting the imprinting factor (IF). Very interesting, promising properties were revealed. The imprinting factor (IF) under the optimised conditions was 11.9. Finally, when the imprinted LC column was used for the selective recognition of CA over eight related compounds, very good selectivity was obtained. This outcome enabled the direct extraction of CA in commercial apple juice samples with recoveries in excess of 81% and, rather significantly, without any need for a clean-up step prior to the extraction.