Solid-Phase Extraction of Metoprolol onto(Methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)-based Molecularly Imprinted Polymer and Its Spectrophotometric Determination

A new adsorbent for molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) of metoprolol was synthesized using methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as cross‐linking agent causing a non‐covalent, bulk, thermal radical‐polymerization. Control polymer (non‐imprinted polymer) was prepared under well defined conditions without the use of metoprolol. The synthesized polymers were characterized by IR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and thermal analysis techniques. This polymer was used for the rapid extraction and preconcentration of metoprolol from real samples prior to spectrophotometric determination. Extraction efficiency and the influence of flow rates of sample and stripping solutions, pH, type of eluent for elution of metoprolol from polymer, break through volume and limit of detection were studied. The detection limit of the proposed method is 0.4 ng·mL^?1. The method was applied successfully to the recovery and determination of metoprolol in tablets, human urine and plasma samples.