Selective 17‐β‐estradiol molecular imprinting

An efficient novel method for the synthesis of a covalent molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) highly specific to β‐estradiol have been developed. MIP prepared by both covalent and non covalent techniques, demonstrated high selectivity toward β‐estradiol. MIPs were synthesized by radical polymerization of 17‐β‐estradiol 4‐vinyl‐benzene carboxyl or sulfonyl esters used as covalent functional monomers, methacrylic acid as noncovalent functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinking agent, and acetonitrile as swelling and porogenic component. Almost 35% (w/w) of 17‐β‐estradiol was successfully removed from the polymer network by basic hydrolysis. The binding ability of MIP was 10.73 μg/mg MIP following removal of 17‐β‐estradiol in the 2 mg/mL β‐estradiol solution. Selective rebinding of β‐estradiol toward MIP was tested in the presence of competitive binders including estrone, 19‐nortestosterone, epiandrosterone, and cholesterol. Estrone having closest similar chemical structure to β‐estradiol exhibited only 0.6 μg/mg MIP competitive binding, being exposed to equivalent concentrations. Moreover, other competitive steroids demonstrated negligible affinity toward MIP indicating high selectivity of novel MIP system toward β‐estradiol. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5534–5542, 2009     

A selective molecularly imprinted polymer-solid phase extraction for the determination of fenitrothion in tomatoes

A new and selective sorbent for molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) was developed and applied for the determination of residues of fenitrothion (FNT) in tomatoes, using HPLC coupled to photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Using FNT as the template molecule, methacrylic acid as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker, toluene as the porogenic solvent, and bulk polymerization as the synthetic method, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized. In order to choose the medium which promotes the best molecular recognition of FNT by the MIP, the adsorption of FNT by the MIP was studied in different media containing acetonitrile and toluene. Besides FNT, three structurally related compounds were used to evaluate the selectivity of the FNT-molecularly imprinted polymer. The MIP exhibited the highest selective rebinding to FNT. The method developed was validated, using fortified blank tomato samples. The extraction efficiency was 96%. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.050 and 0.130 μg g⁻¹, respectively. The intra-day precision was 5.9% and the inter-day precision 8.1%. The accuracy was higher than 89% for a concentration level around the maximum residue limit of 0.5 μg g⁻¹.     

Molecularly imprinted polymers: An analytical tool for the determination of benzimidazole compounds in water samples

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for benzimidazole compounds have been synthesized by precipitation polymerization using thiabendazole (TBZ) as template, methacrylic acid as functional monomer, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) as cross-linkers and a mixture of acetonitrile and toluene as porogen. The experiments carried out by molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) in cartridges demonstrated the imprint effect in both imprinted polymers. MIP–DVB enabled a much higher breakthrough volume than MIP–EDMA, and thus was selected for further experiments. The ability of this MIP for the selective recognition of other benzimidazole compounds (albendazole, benomyl, carbendazim, fenbendazole, flubendazole and fuberidazole) was evaluated. The obtained results revealed the high selectivity of the imprinted polymer towards all the selected benzimidazole compounds.An off-line analytical methodology based on a MISPE procedure has been developed for the determination of benzimidazole compounds in tap, river and well water samples at concentration levels below the legislated maximum concentration levels (MCLs) with quantitative recoveries. Additionally, an on-line preconcentration procedure based on the use of a molecularly imprinted polymer as selective stationary phase in HPLC is proposed as a fast screening method for the evaluation of the presence of benzimidazole compounds in water samples.     

Preparation and evaluation of molecularly imprinted polymers based on 9-ethyladenine for the recognition of nucleotide bases in capillary electrochromatography

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) comprising 9-ethyladenine was polymerized in situ inside the capillary for the electrochromatographic separation of nucleotide bases. The capillary wall was first functionalized with 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate (10% v/v) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (0.01% w/v) in toluene. Following this treatment, the capillary was filled with acetonitrile containing 9-ethyladenine, methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and initiator. After polymerization, the MIP was shrunk into a film against the inner wall of the capillary with the syringe pump. The template was then removed with methanol under nitrogen flow. For evaluation the feasibility of the MIP column for the separation of nucleotide bases, some parameters including the pH, concentration of the background electrolyte, the applied voltage as well as the effect of organic modifier were studied. The migration behavior of nucleotide bases on the MIP column was also compared with that on the bare fused-silica column. The results indicated that the MIP columns demonstrated better recognition properties at a pH range of 6-8. The efficiency (plates/m) at pH 8 for the nonimprinted analyte was 75,300 for cytosine, 50,200 for thymine, and 14,800 for guanine. However, the efficiency for the imprinted analyte, adenine, was quite low. This was evidenced by the broad peak, yielding only 2600 plates/m.     

Synthesis and Molecular Recognition of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer with Ibuprofen as Template

Ibuprofen and ketoprofen are chemically similar non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs widely used in the treatment of arthritis. Using a molecular imprinting technique, a simple and rapid method was developed for the simultaneous separation and determination of ibuprofen and ketoprofen. Molecular imprinting introduces artificial binding sites into a synthetic polymer matrix, allowing it to exhibit selective rebinding of template molecules. Imprinted polymers can be regarded as an HPLC stationary phase, important for pharmaceutical analysis. Most molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthesized by free radical polymerization of functional monomers, resulting in an excess of crosslinking monomers. In this study, MIPs have been prepared with a ibuprofen template, which can form intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) were used as the functional monomer and cross‐linker, respectively. Bulk polymerization was carried out at 4 °C under UV radiation. The resulting MIP was ground into 25?44 μm particles, which were slurry‐packed into analytical columns. Template molecules were removed by methanol‐acetic acid (9:1, v/v). We evaluated the template binding performance of the MIP using HPLC, with ultraviolet (UV) detection at 234 nm. Chromatographic resolution of ibuprofen and ketoprofen on the MIPs were appraised using buffer/acetonitrile (45/55, v/v) as the mobile phase. Results show that the MIPs prepared using ibuprofen as the template had a significant molecular imprinting effect. The method was successfully applied to the separation and analysis of ibuprofen and ketoprofen in pharmaceuticals.     

Preparation of an open-tubular capillary column with a monolithic layer of S-ketoprofen imprinted and 4-styrenesulfonic acid incorporated polymer and its enhanced chiral separation performance in capillary electrochromatography

Enhanced chiral separation performance has been observed for ketoprofen enantiomers in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) with an open-tubular (OT) column prepared with a specific molecule imprinted polymer (MIP) on the innerwall of 50mum ID capillary. The column was prepared by in situ thermal polymerization inside the pretreated and silanized fused silica capillary. A specific diluted monomer mixture composed of S-ketoprofen, methacrylic acid (MAA, functional monomer), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA, cross-linker), and 4-styrenesulfonic acid (4-SSA) dissolved in 9/1 (v/v) acetonitrile/2-propanol was used to fabricate the OT-MIP layer. 4-SSA was added to form a MIP layer capable of stable and strong electro-osmotic flow (EOF) over the pH range of this study securing CEC elution of ketoprofen having partial negative charge near the optimized pH. Various parameters such as buffer pH, organic modifier composition, salt concentration, and applied potential have been optimized for CEC chiral separation of ketoprofen enantiomers. Very good separation selectivity and efficiency were observed, thus the chromatographic resolution of ketoprofen enantiomers was as high as 10.5, and the number of theoretical plates of R-ketoprofen, 156,000/m (40,000/m for S-ketoprofen), which proves that the OT-MIP-CEC type approach is a promising strategy in MIP study.     

Evaluation of a molecularly imprinted polymer for the isolation/enrichment of β-estradiol

The selective preconcentration of estradiol was explored using the recognition ability of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) in the solid phase extraction (SPE) format. Polymeric particles were imprinted with 17β-estradiol using methacrylic acid as functional monomer and divinylbenzene as crosslinker. Binding studies of these polymeric particles towards 17β-estradiol showed selectivity over non-imprinted polymers, using acetonitrile as solvent. The imprinted polymer showed a recovery of 88% for β-estradiol in deionized water and 81% in surface water. The selectivity of the MIP over the non-imprinted polymer was relatively low, only 10% higher recovery. The results indicate that the MIP imprinted with 17β-estradiol does not appear to provide a viable approach to be used in a sample clean-up or enrichment step for the determination of estradiol in aqueous systems.     

Monodisperse restricted access material with molecularly imprinted surface for selective solid‐phase extraction of 17β‐estradiol from milk

In this study, novel monodisperse restricted access media‐molecularly imprinted polymers were successfully prepared by surface initiated reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization using monodisperse crosslinked poly (glycidyl methacrylate‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) microspheres as the carrier and acryloyl chloride‐modified β‐cyclodextrin as the hydrophilic functional monomer. The surface morphology, protein exclusion, and adsorption properties of the molecularly imprinted polymers were investigated. The results show that the material has excellent monodispersity and hydrophilicity, and simultaneously exhibit high adsorption capacity, fast binding kinetics, high selectivity, and significant thermal stability. The molecularly imprinted polymers as dispersive solid‐phase extraction adsorbent combined with reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography was used to selectively enrich, separate, and analyze trace 17β‐estradiol in milk samples. The recovery of 17β‐estradiol is 88–95% with relative standard deviation of <4%, and the limits of detection and quantification of this method are 2.08 and 9.29 µg/L, respectively. The novel restricted access media‐molecularly imprinted polymer adsorbents provide an effective method for the selective extraction and detection of 17β‐estradiol directly from complex samples.     

Determination of methotrexate in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with pseudo template molecularly imprinted polymer

A pseudo template molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared for methotrexate (MTX) and a RP-HPLC method combined with the MIP was developed for the determination of MTX in human serum. Because of the poor solubility of MTX in common MIP preparation solvents, trimethoprim (TMP), a molecule having the similar imprinting sites as MTX, is selected as the pseudo template. The MIP was prepared using methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. ¹H NMR study showed highly strong interaction between TMP and MAA with hydrogen bonds. Chromatographic behaviors indicated that the TMP-MIP possessed excellent affinity and selectivity for MTX. And the imprinting factor for MTX was high up to 9.5 when 7:3 of acetonitrile:methanol (v/v) was used as mobile phase. Moreover, TMP-MIP was used as the solid-phase extraction (SPE) material to enrich the target compound MTX in human serum samples for HPLC analysis. The SPE process was carefully optimized and good recoveries of MTX were obtained as 81.6–86.2% with RSD of 0.22–1.84% when the spiked concentration of MTX was 2.0–10.0 μg mL⁻¹ in human serum samples. The results indicated that the pseudo template MIP can be applied to preconcentration, purification and analysis of MTX in clinic samples.     

丹酚酸A分子印迹聚合物制备及识别性能研究

以丹酚酸A为模板分子,丙烯酰胺(AM)、α-甲基丙烯酸(MAA)、2-乙烯基吡啶(2-VP)和4-乙烯基吡啶(4-VP)为功能单体,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(EGDMA)为交联剂,丙酮、乙酸乙酯、乙腈和甲醇为致孔剂,采用本体聚合法制备了一系列丹酚酸A分子印迹聚合物.通过静态平衡吸附实验和选择性实验考察了印迹聚合物的吸附性能...     

Molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction for the selective determination of 17β-estradiol in fishery samples with high performance liquid chromatography

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been synthesized by a thermo-polymerization method using methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as cross-linker, acetonitrile as porogenic solvent, and 17β-estradiol as template. The MIP showed obvious affinity for 17β-estradiol in acetonitrile solution, which was confirmed by absorption experiments. After optimization of molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) conditions, three structurally related estrogenic compounds (17β-estradiol, estriol, and diethylstilbestrol) were used to evaluate the selectivity of the MIP cartridges. The MIP cartridges exhibited highly selectivity for E₂, the recoveries were 84.8 ± 6.53% for MIPs and 19.1 ± 1.93% for non-imprinted polymer (NIP) cartridges. The detection and quantification limits correspond to 0.023 and 0.076 mg L⁻¹. Furthermore, the MISPE methods were used to selectively extract E₂ from fish and prawn tissue prior to HPLC analysis. This MISPE-HPLC procedure could eliminate all matrix interference simultaneously and had good recoveries (78.3-84.5%).     

Potential of combining of liquid membranes and molecularly imprinted polymers in extraction of 17β‐estradiol from aqueous samples

The potential of combination of liquid membranes (microporous membrane liquid–liquid extraction) and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) was performed using 17β‐estradiol (E2) as model compound. The model compound was extracted from aqueous sample through a hydrophobic porous membrane that was impregnated with hexane/ethyl acetate (3:2), which also formed part of the acceptor phase. In the acceptor phase, the compound was bound onto MIP particles that were also part of the organic phase. The potential of such combination was optimised for the type and amount of MIP particles in the organic acceptor phase, the extraction time, and the type of organic acceptor solvent. Ultrasound assisted binding of E2 onto MIP particles was also investigated. MIPs prepared by precipitation polymerization were found to be superior to those prepared by bulk polymerization. Increase in the extraction time and the amount of MIP particles in the acceptor phase led to more E2 binding onto the MIP particles. Hexane/ethyl acetate (3:2) as an organic acceptor was found to give higher E2 binding onto MIP particles compared to toluene, diethyl ether, and hexane. Ultrasound was furthermore found to increase the binding of E2 onto MIP particles. The selectivity of the technique was demonstrated by extracting wastewater and where clean chromatograms were obtained compared to liquid membrane extractions (SLMs) alone.     

Fabrication of the Monolithic Fiber for the Solid Phase Micro‐extraction of Malachite Green

A monolithic fiber of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared by in situ polymerization within the capillary with an inner diameter of 530 µm. It was carried out in 8 min by microwave irradiation using malachite green (MG) as a template molecule, α‐methacrylic acid (MAA) as a functional monomer, acetonitrile (ACN) as a porogenic solvent, ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) as a crosslinker, azodiiso‐butyronitrile (AIBN) as a thermal initiator. The resulted MIP fibers were pushed out from the capillary, eluted and inserted in the capillary again, which successfully used for the solid phase microextraction (SPME) procedure. The factors affecting the extraction of MG, such as the molar ratio of template/monomer (MG/MAA), concentration of NaCl, extraction and desorption time, and extraction and desorption solvents were investigated in detail. The selectivity of the MIP fibers was compared using MG analogues crystal violet (CV) and non‐analogue Sudan II. It was also employed for the pretreatment of trace MG in the fish feed followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detection. Under the optimal conditions, the linear range of MG was 10‐600 μg/L, the detection limit (LOD) was 1.23 μg/L and the recovery of spiked fish feed sample was 88.7～113.9%.     

Preparation and evaluation of a monolithic molecularly imprinted polymer for the chiral separation of neurotransmitters and their analogues by capillary electrochromatography

A monolithic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) column was prepared as the stationary phase for the capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) separation of a group of structurally related compounds including dopamine (DA), (±)-epinephrine (EP), (-)-isoproterenol (ISO), (±)-norepinephrine (NE), (±)-octopamine (OCT), and (±)-synephrine (SYN). Here, (-)-NE was used as the template. Either methacrylic acid (MAA) or itaconic acid (IA) together with a mixture of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) and α,α'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was introduced into a pre-treated, silanised, fused-silica capillary by a thermal non-covalent polymerisation procedure. Optimised conditions for the polymerisation reaction were assessed by the separation efficiency of the template. Both the template/monomer/cross linker molar ratio and the compositions of the functional monomer, cross-linker, and porogen affected polymerisation. The optimum in situ polymerisation reaction was performed at 65 °C for 17 min. By varying CEC parameters like eluent composition and pH, we observed that the addition of SDS to the eluent clearly improved the CEC separations. With a mobile phase of citrate buffer (10 mM, pH 3)/SDS (40 mM)/acetonitrile (2/2/1, v/v/v) solution and an applied voltage of 10 kV, the six related structures of the template and their enantiomeric mixtures were satisfactorily separated at 30 °C.     

Selective molecularly imprinted polymer obtained from a combinatorial library for the extraction of bisphenol A

In the present work, an analytical methodology based on molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) has been developed for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in environmental and food samples. In order to select the optimum material, a combinatorial library of molecularly imprinted polymers in small-scale (mini-MIPs) was prepared using BPA as template. Different monomers (methacrylic acid or 4-vinylpyridine), crosslinkers (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate or trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) and porogens (methanol, acetonitrile or toluene) were used leading to 24 different polymerisation mixtures. After BPA removal, the ability of mini-MIPs to recognise BPA was evaluated by equilibrium rebinding-elution experiments. The copolymer of 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) prepared in toluene showed the higher affinity for the template. Subsequently, a scaled-up version of the optimum polymer was prepared and used in the development of MISPE procedures for the extraction of BPA. The optimised MISPE protocols were successfully applied to the selective extraction of BPA from soils and aqueous canned peas samples.     

Vapor-phase testing of the memory-effects in benzene- and toluene-imprinted polymers conditioned at elevated temperature

The preparation of polymers imprinted with common aromatic solvents such as benzene and toluene is an under-exploited subject of research. The present study was aimed at the understanding of whether true solvent memory effects can be achieved by molecular imprinting, as well as if they are stable at elevated temperature. A set of copolymers, comprising low and high cross-linking levels, was prepared from four different combinations of functional monomer and cross-linker, namely methacrylic acid (MAA)/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA)/EGDMA, MAA/divinyl benzene (DVB) and MMA/DVB. Each possible combination was prepared separately in benzene, toluene and acetonitrile. The obtained materials were applied as coatings onto nickel–titanium (Ni–Ti) alloy wires which were incorporated into solid-phase microextraction devices and finally tested for their ability to competitively adsorb vapors from the headspace of an aqueous solution containing a few volatile organic compounds.     

Optimisation of procedures for the extraction of structural analogues of propranolol with molecular imprinted polymers for sample preparation

A propranolol-derived molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared using methacrylic acid as monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker. The extraction properties of five compounds structurally related to propranolol were assessed on the MIP and on a blank polymer made under the same conditions but in the absence of an imprint molecule. Using application from aqueous solution with methanol-water-triethylamine (TEA)-based solvents for elution (i.e. reversed-phase conditions) the MIP showed only marginal selectivity for the compounds on the MIP compared to the blank. Despite the limited selectivity there did appear to be a relationship between structure of the compound (relative to propranolol) and the extent of selective retention. Application of the compounds in toluene with elution using toluene-TEA or toluene-trifluoroacetic acid resulted in the MIP showing dramatically enhanced retention and selectivity of the compounds on the MIP compared to the blank. The enhanced selectivity for extraction on to the MIP relative to the blank, for all compounds using normal-phase solvents seem to be a class effect as there was no apparent relationship between compound structure and retention.     

Synthesis and characterization of molecularly imprinted polymers for selective solid-phase extraction of pseudoephedrine

Molecular imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) is a well known technique for the selective extraction and pre-concentration of analytes, are present at low levels in chemically complex materials. Herein, water-soluble, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) were prepared for solid-phase extraction of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (PSE), which was monitored at 256 nm by the UV spectroscopy. MISPE conditions were optimized to allow the selective and determination of PSE in aqueous samples and composite materials, such as biological fluids and human urine. MIP was prepared by precipitation polymerization method, using methacrylic acid as a functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linking agent in either acetonitrile or chloroform. The results suggest that the obtained MISPE exhibits high affinity for PSE, and the imprinted polymer demonstrates much higher efficiency than a non-imprinted polymer (NIP). The imprinting-induced extraction was confirmed by the determination of recovery values for NIP (4%) and MIP (80%) polymers, respectively. The binding capacity of the MIP for PSE was found of 47.6 mg g⁻¹.     

1-氨基乙内酰脲分子印迹聚合物的制备和吸附性能研究

以1-氨基乙内酰脲(AHD)为模板分子,α-甲基丙烯酸(MAA)为功能单体,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(EDMA)为交联剂,采用本体聚合方法合成了分子印迹聚合物(M IP),考察了模板分子与功能单体不同比例下制备的M IP对模板分子的吸附性能。通过Scatchard分析,表明该印迹聚合物上存在一类等价的吸附位点,其结合位点的离解常数KD=4.33mmol/L。     

Novel molecularly imprinted polymeric microspheres for preconcentration and preservation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental samples

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) microspheres with diameters in the range 60–500 μm were synthesized in a continuous segmented flow microfluidic reactor and used as packing material for microtraps for the selective separation of benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) from environmental aqueous samples. The synthesis involved the pumping of monodisperse droplets of acetonitrile containing methacrylic acid as the functional monomer, BAP as a template, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linking monomer into the microchannels of the microfluidic reactor. The microspheres showed high adsorption capacity and selectivity for BAP in aqueous solutions; both are important for the environmental monitoring and analysis of BAP. The adsorption capacity for BAP of the smallest MIP microspheres (size range 60–80 μm), prepared as part of this study, was 75 mg g^-1 in aqueous solutions; furthermore, this adsorption capacity was close to 300 % higher than that of commercially used activated carbon. Microtraps packed with MIP retained BAP intact for at least 30 days, whereas microtraps packed with activated carbon for BAP showed 40 % reduction in BAP concentration for the same period. This study has demonstrated that MIP microtraps have significant potential for the selective enrichment and preservation of targeted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from complex environmental samples.