Molecular Imprinting of Cyclodextrins Leading to Synthetic Antibodies

Molecularly imprinted cyclodextrins were applied to HPLC stationary phases forefficient recognition of nano-scaled guests in water. When cholesterol was usedas a template molecule, the imprinted polymer selectively retained this guest morestrongly and selectively than did non-imprinted polymer. The imprinting effect inthe retention behavior was consistent with previously reportedphysicochemical analyses.Immobilization of the imprinted cyclodextrin polymer on the surfaceof silica gel in water was also successful. The polymer-silica gel compositesobtained had sufficient physical strength, and were useful for HPLC stationary phases. Thesemolecularly imprinted polymers could recognize steroids, amino acid derivatives,dipeptides, and antibiotics. Moreover, we found that the enantio-selectivity towardthe template molecules was significantly promoted. This methodology has greatpotential for the recognition of large guest molecules in water, and can be analternative to affinity chromatography for the separation of bio-molecules.