Ion imprinted polymer particles: synthesis, characterization and dysprosium ion uptake properties suitable for analytical applications

Dysprosium(III) ion imprinted polymer particles were prepared by the copolymerization of styrene monomers and a crosslinking agent divinylbenzene in the presence of dysprosium(III)-5,7-dichloroquinoline-8-ol-4-vinyl pyridine ternary complex wherein dysprosium(III) ion is the imprint ion and is used to form the imprinted polymer. The dysprosium(III) ion was removed from polymer particles by leaching with 1:1 HCl which leaves a cavity in the polymer particles. The polymer particles both prior to and after leaching have been characterized by IR, TGA, DTA and XRD studies. The leached particles selectively preconcentrated dysprosium ion from dilute aqueous solutions as determined spectrophotometrically using Arsenazo-I as reagent. The optimum pH value for quantitative enrichment is 6-9 and desorption can be achieved by using 25 ml of 1 mol/l of HCl. The retention capacity of the polymer particles was found to be 40.15 mg/g, which is much higher than MIPs prepared by other imprinting techniques. The dysprosium ion imprinting polymer gave 40 times higher distribution ratio for dysprosium ion compared to blank polymer. More significantly the selectivity coefficients of dysprosium compared to other lanthanides results in enhancement by 60-180-fold. The separation factors with respect to other selected lanthanides were also compared with liquid-liquid extractive separation using di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as extractant. The selectivity of dysprosium ion imprinting polymer (IIP) particles for dysprosium over yttrium is much higher and comparable in case of Nd and Lu when compared to conventional extractant such as D2EHPA in liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). Five replicate determinations of 50 μg of dysprosium present in 250 ml of sample gave a mean absorbance of 0.150 with a relative standard deviation of 2.42%. The detection limit corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank was found to be 2 μg/250 ml.     

Ion imprinted polymer particles for separation of yttrium from selected lanthanides

Lanthanide(III) (Dy, Gd, Tb and Y) ion imprinted polymer (IIP) materials were synthesized via single pot reaction by mixing lanthanide imprint ion with 5,7-dichloroquinoline-8-ol, 4-vinylpyridine, styrene, divinylbenzene and 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile in 2-methoxyethanol porogen. The imprint ion was removed by stirring the above materials (after powdering) with 6 mol/L HCl to obtain the respective lanthanide IIP particles. Y-Dy, Y-Gd and Dy-Gd polymer particles were obtained by physically mixing equal amounts of the respective leached individual lanthanide(III) particles. Control polymer (CP) particles were similarly prepared without imprint ion. Application of the above synthesized polymer particles was tested for separation of Y from Dy, Gd and Tb employing batch and column SPE methods using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry for the determination. Optimization studies show that Y present in 500 mL can be preconcentrated using Dy-Gd IIP particles and eluted with 20 mL of 1.0 mol/L of HCl, providing an enrichment factor of approximately 25. Dy-Gd IIP particles offer higher selectivity coefficients for Y over other lanthanides compared to other IIP particles and commercial liquid-liquid extractants. Selectivity studies for Y over other coexisting inorganic species (other than lanthanides) were also conducted and the results obtained show a quantitative separation of Y from other inorganics other than Cu(II) and Fe(III). Furthermore, both batch and column studies indicate the purification of yttrium concentrate from 55.0 +/- 0.2 to 65.2 +/- 0.2% in a single stage of operation.     

Synthesis of nano-pore samarium (III)-imprinted polymer for preconcentrative separation of samarium ions from other lanthanide ions via solid phase extraction

A batch process was developed to separate samarium ions from some lanthanide ions by a novel solid phase which was prepared via the ion-imprinting technique. The samarium (III) ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) particles were synthesized by preparing the ternary complex of samarium ions with 5,7-dichloroquinoline-8-ol (DCQ) and 4-vinylpyridine (VP). Then, thermally copolymerization with styrene (functional monomer, STY) and divinylbenzene (cross-linking monomer, DVB) followed in the presence of 2-methoxy ethanol (porogen) and 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (initiator, AIBN). The imprinted ion was removed by stirring the above particles with 50% (v/v) HCl to obtain the leached IIP particles. Moreover, control polymer (CP) particles were similarly prepared without the samarium ions. The unleached and leached IIP particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infra-red spectroscopy (IR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, preconcentration and selectivity studies for samarium and the other lanthanide ions were carried out. The preconcentration of the samarium (III) traces was studied during rebinding with the leached IIP particles as a function of pH, the weight of the polymer material, the preconcentration and the elution times, the eluent volume and the aqueous phase volume. These studies indicated that the samarium (III) amount as low as 1 μg, present in 200 mL, could be preconcentrated into 25 mL of 1.0 M HCl.     

Preparation and application of hollow molecularly imprinted polymers with a super‐high selectivity to the template protein

Protein‐imprinted polymers with hollow cores that have a super‐high imprinting factor were prepared by etching the core of the surface‐imprinted polymers that used silica particles as the support. Lysozyme as template was modified onto the surface of silica particles by a covalent method, and after polymerization and the removal of template molecules, channels through the polymer layer were formed, which allowed a single‐protein molecule to come into the hollow core and attach to the binding sites inside the polymer layer. The adsorption experiments demonstrated that the hollow imprinted polymers had an extremely high binding capacity and selectivity, and thus a super‐high imprinting factor was obtained. The as‐prepared imprinted polymers were used to separate the template lysozyme from egg white successfully, indicating its high selectivity and potential application in the field of separation of protein from real samples.     

Selective Adsorption of Co(Ⅱ)Ions by Whisker Surface Ion-Imprinted Polymer: Equilibrium and Kinetics Modeling

Based on sodium trititanate whisker as support particles, the surface ion‐imprinted polymer (S‐IIP) was synthesized for the selective adsorption of Co(II) ions from aqueous solution. Characterization of S‐IIP was achieved by FTIR spectra and SEM micrographs. Kinetic properties were successfully investigated by the pseudo‐first‐order model and pseudo‐second‐order model, and a chemisorption process as the essential adsorption step was also proposed. Equilibrium data were fitted with the Langmuir, Dubinin‐Radushkevich and Freundlich isotherm equations, and the maximum adsorption amount of monolayer saturation for S‐IIP was 33.75 mg/g at 298 K. Moreover, dimensionless separation factor R_L (R_L<1.0) indicated a highly favourable adsorption system between Co(II) ions and S‐IIP. Selectivity experiments showed that selective adsorption of Co(II) ions for S‐IIP was significantly higher than that of non‐imprinted polymer (NIP).     

Influence of binary/ternary complex of imprint ion on the preconcentration of uranium(VI) using ion imprinted polymer materials

Ion imprinted polymer (IIP) materials were prepared for uranyl ion (imprint ion) by forming binary (5,7-dichloroquinoline-8-ol (DCQ) or 4-vinylpyridine (VP)) or ternary (5,7-dichloroquinoline-8-ol and 4-vinylpyridine) complexes in 2-methoxy ethanol (porogen) and copolymerizing in the presence of styrene and divinyl benzene as functional and crosslinking monomers, respectively and 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. IIP particles were obtained by leaching the imprint ion in these polymer materials with 50% (v/v) hydrochloric acid, filtering, drying in an oven at 50 °C and grinding. Control polymer particles were also prepared under identical conditions. The above synthesized polymer particles were characterized by IR, CHN, X-ray diffraction, and pore size analyses. These leached polymer particles can now pick up uranyl ions from dilute aqueous solutions. The IIP particles obtained with ternary complex of uranyl ion alone gave quantitative enrichment of traces of uranyl ions from dilute aqueous solutions. The optimal pH for quantitative enrichment is 4.5-7.5 and eluted completely with 10 ml of 1.0 M HCl. The retention capacity of uranyl IIP particles was found to be 34.05 mg of uranyl ion per gram of polymer. Further, the percent extraction, distribution ratio, and selectivity coefficients of uranium and other selected inorganic ions were also evaluated. Five replicate determinations of 25 μg of uranium present in 1.0 l of aqueous solution gave a mean absorbance of 0.036 with a relative standard deviation of 2.50%. The detection limit corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank was found to be 5 μg l⁻¹.     

An imprinted polymer for removal of Cd<Superscript>2+</Superscript> from water samples: Optimization of adsorption and recovery steps by experimental design

A new ion-imprinted polymer（ⅡP） was synthesized by copolymerization of 4-vinylpyridine（monomer）, ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate（cross-linker） and 2,2-azobis-isobutyronitrile（initiator） in the presence of Cd²⁺ and quinaldic acid（complexing agent）.It was found that the adsorption capacity of IIP and blank polymer were 45.0 and 6.2 mg g^-1, respectively.The relative selectivity coefficients of the imprinted polymer for different binary mixture were also calculated. Compared to non-imprinted polymer（NIP）,theⅡP had higher selectivity for Cd（Ⅱ）.TheⅡP was used as a sorbent for cadmium extraction from water samples by using a simple batch extraction procedure.The effect of different parameters on Cd²⁺ extraction and its recovery from theⅡP were evaluated and optimized by using experimental design methodology.The optimized adsorption/desorption procedure was applied for cadmium removal from the real water samples.The obtained recoveries proved that thisⅡP could be used for removal of trace cadmium ions from water samples.     

Speciation,adsorption and determination of chromium(III) and chromium(VI) on a mesoporous surface imprinted polymer adsorbent by combining inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and UV spectrophotometry

In the present study, a Cr(III)‐imprinted polymer (Cr(III)‐IIP) was prepared by an easy one‐step sol–gel reaction with a surface imprinting technique on the support of silica mesoporous material. A new SPE method for the speciation, separation, preconcentration, and determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and UV on the mesoporous‐imprinted polymer adsorbent was developed. The structure of the imprinted polymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. The adsorption kinetics, thermodynamics behavior, and recognition ability toward Cr(III) on Cr(III)‐IIP and nonimprinted polymer were compared. The results showed that Cr(III)‐IIP had higher selectivity and nearly a two times larger Langmuir adsorption capacity (38.50 mg/g) than that of NIP. The proposed method has been successfully applied in the determination and speciation of chromium in natural water samples with satisfactory results.     

Synthesis of imprinted polymer material with palladium ion nanopores and its analytical application

Ion imprinted polymer (IIP) materials with nanopores were prepared by formation of ternary complex of palladium imprint ion with dimethylglyoxime (DMG) and 4-vinylpyridine (VP, functional monomer) and thermally copolymerizing with styrene (crosslinking monomer) and divinylbenzene (cross linker) and 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The synthesis was carried out with cyclohexanol as porogen and subsequently leached with 50% (v/v) HCl to obtain leached IIP particles. These leached IIP particles can now pick up palladium ions from dilute aqueous solutions. The optimal acidity for quantitative enrichment was 0.2-0.4N HCl and eluted completely by stirring for 15 min with 2×10 ml of 50% (v/v) HCl. The palladium ion imprinting polymer gave 100 times higher distribution ratio than ion recognition (blank) polymer (IRP). Further, percent extraction, distribution ratio and selectivity coefficients of palladium and other selected inorganic ions using IRP and IIP particles were determined and compared. Five replicate determinations of 50 μg of palladium in 1 l of solution gave a mean absorbance of 0.200 with a relative standard deviation of 2.12%. The detection limit corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank was 2.5 μg of palladium/l.     

基于MCM-41分子筛表面的镱离子印迹聚合物的制备及其性能

运用离子印迹技术,以3-氯丙基三乙氧基硅烷为锚定剂,将功能单体直链聚乙烯亚胺(PEI)接枝在MCM-41分子筛表面,选择镱离子作为模板离子,以环氧氯丙烷交联制备出基于MCM-41表面的镱离子印迹聚合物Yb(Ⅲ)-IIP-PEI/MCM-41,并以同样的方法制备非离子印迹聚合物(NIP-PEI/MCM-41)。 利用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪和扫描电子显微镜等技术手段对Yb³⁺印迹聚合物进行表征,采用静态吸附法确定了Yb(Ⅲ)-IIP-PEI/MCM-41对Yb³⁺的最佳吸附条件及选择性吸附性能。 结果表明,Yb(Ⅲ)-IIP-PEI/MCM-41和NIP-PEI/MCM-41的最大吸附量分别为229.93和99.27 mg/g;印迹材料对Yb³⁺的吸附符合Langmuir模型;吸附平衡在40 min的时候基本可以达到,可以利用准二级动力学模型来描述其吸附过程;Yb(Ⅲ)-IIP-PEI/MCM-41对Yb³⁺具有较强的选择性,同时也具有很好的重复使用性能。 成功地将MCM-41和离子印迹聚合物的优点结合起来,制备出一种对稀土Yb离子既有高吸附量又有高选择性的吸附材料,为进一步将其应用在处理实际废水,分离回收低浓度稀土废水中的稀土元素等方面打下了基础。     

Synthesis of novel ion‐imprinted polymeric nanoparticles based on dibenzo‐21‐crown‐7 for the selective pre‐concentration and recognition of rubidium ions

In this work, we report the first application of ion‐imprinted technology via precipitation polymerization for simple and practical determination of rubidium ions. The rubidium‐ion‐imprinted polymer nanoparticles were prepared using dibenzo‐21‐crown‐7 as a selective ligand, methacrylic acid as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross linker, and 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as radical initiator. The resulting powder material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, which showed colloidal nanoparticles of 100–200 nm in diameter and slightly irregular in shape. The maximum adsorption capacity of the ion imprinted particles was 63.36 μmol/g. The experimental conditions such as nature and concentration of eluent, pH, adsorption and desorption times, weight of the polymer material, aqueous phase and desorption agent volumes were also studied. Finally, selectivity of the prepared IIP particles toward rubidium ion was investigated in the presence of some foreign metal ions.     

Magnetic nanoparticles with an imprinted polymer coating for the selective extraction of uranyl ions

We have synthesized ferromagnetic nanoparticles with an imprinted polymer coating that is capable of adsorbing and extracting uranyl ions. The adsorbent was characterized using infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The effects of sample pH, sample volume, weight of the adsorbent, contact time and of other ions have been investigated in the batch extraction mode. The performance of the material was compared to that of particles coated with a non-imprinted polymer. The adsorbent containing the imprinted coating displays higher sorption capacity and better selectivity to uranyl ions. The method was successfully applied to the determination of uranyl ions in water samples.

A nanostructured ion-imprinted polymer for the selective extraction and preconcentration of ultra-trace quantities of nickel ions

We describe a nanostructured ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) for the selective preconcentration of Ni(II) ions. It was obtained by bulk polymerization from 2-vinylpyridine (the functional monomer), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (the cross-linker), 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (the initiator), alizarin red S (the nickel-binding ligand), and nickel (the template ion) in acetonitrile solution. The IIP particles were characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, and by scanning electron microscopy. Imprinted Ni(II) ions were removed from the polymeric structure using 5 % HCl as the eluting solvent. The material is capable of selectively binding Ni(II) from solutions at pH values between (pH 8.0 being best). Both the sorption and desorption process occur within 5 min. The maximum sorbent capacity of the ion imprinted polymer is 73 mg g^?1. Following desorption, Ni(II) was determined by FAAS, with relative standard deviation and limit of detection of 3.4 % and 0.15 ng mL^?1, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of nickel in certified reference materials (soil and polymetallic gold ore), fish, vegetables, river sediments, and river water.

Synthesis and selective recognition property of Ni2+‐imprinted microporous polymer beads

Nickel ion‐imprinted polymer (IIP) was synthesized from dimethylglyoxime and 4‐vinyl pyridine monomers. These functional monomers were self assembled with the Ni²⁺ template and then copolymerized with divinylbenzene and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate crosslinkers in toluene porogen via suspension polymerization. Imprinting was achieved by removing the template ion from the copolymers by extensive washing. The IIP particles produced were 300–700 µm in diameter and were spherical. The chemical and physical structures were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. The adsorption capacity and kinetics, and separation selectivity were investigated using atomic adsorption spectroscopy in batch adsorption operation mode. The Ni²⁺‐imprinted polymers showed excellent adsorption ability and selective separation property. The adsorption capacity for Ni²⁺ was 320 µmol/g, and the selectivity factors (α) for Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Cd²⁺ were 6, 11, 12, and 27, respectively. The adsorption capacity and separation selectivity were affected by the environmental pH, as the protonation easily took place in acidic condition. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of a New Cu(II)-Ion Imprinted Polymer for Solid Phase Extraction and Preconcentration of Cu(II)

A new Cu(II)-ion imprinted polymer (IIP) has been synthesized by copolymerizing salicylic acid and formaldehyde as a monomer and crosslinker, respectively in the presence of Cu(II)-4-(2-pyridylazo) resorcinol complex. The imprinted Cu(II) ions were completely removed by leaching the IIP with 0.05 M EDTA. The maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(II) ions was 310 μg g^?1 at pH 6. The IIP was repeatedly used in adsorption–desorption experiments for seven times with recoveries ~95%. The relative selectivity factor (α _r) values of Cu(II)/Zn(II), Cu(II)/Cd(II), Cu(II)/Ni(II) and Cu(II)/Co(II) are 3.17, 2.90, 2.47 and 3.37, respectively. The detection limit corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank was found to be 3.0 μg L^?1. The developed IIP has also been tested for preconcentration and recovery of Cu(II) ions from water samples.     

Synthesis of a New Cu(II)-Ion Imprinted Polymer for Solid Phase Extraction and Preconcentration of Cu(II)

A new Cu(II)-ion imprinted polymer (IIP) has been synthesized by copolymerizing salicylic acid and formaldehyde as a monomer and crosslinker, respectively in the presence of Cu(II)-4-(2-pyridylazo) resorcinol complex. The imprinted Cu(II) ions were completely removed by leaching the IIP with 0.05 M EDTA. The maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(II) ions was 310 μg g⁻¹ at pH 6. The IIP was repeatedly used in adsorption–desorption experiments for seven times with recoveries ~95%. The relative selectivity factor (α _r) values of Cu(II)/Zn(II), Cu(II)/Cd(II), Cu(II)/Ni(II) and Cu(II)/Co(II) are 3.17, 2.90, 2.47 and 3.37, respectively. The detection limit corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank was found to be 3.0 μg L⁻¹. The developed IIP has also been tested for preconcentration and recovery of Cu(II) ions from water samples.

     

Metal‐imprinted microsphere prepared by surface template polymerization and its application to chromatography

A metal ion‐imprinted microsphere was prepared by surface molecular template polymerization. Trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM), zinc ions, 1,12‐dodecanediol‐O, O′‐diphenyl phosphonic acid (DDDPA) were used as a crosslinking agent, an imprint molecule, and a functional host molecule. The Zn(II)‐imprinted microspheres, which are spherically well‐defined particles, were prepared by using water‐in‐oil‐in‐water (W/O/W) multiple emulsions. The combination of TRIM and DDDPA serves to align the recognition sites resulting in better template sites produced on the polymer surface. We firstly conducted diagnostic zinc‐ and copper‐ion adsorption tests with the Zn(II)‐imprinted and unimprinted microspheres in order to make an assessment on the effectiveness of the molecular imprinting technique. Further, the metal‐imprinted microspheres were applied to the column operation. The separation and recovery of metals were carried out by an adsorption column packed with the Zn(II)‐imprinted microspheres. This performance was compared to that of commercial chelating resins that possess similar phosphoric functional groups. The Zn(II)‐imprinted polymer shows an extremely high selectivity to the imprinted zinc ions compared to that of the commercial chelating resin. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 689–696, 2000     

Application of an Hg2+ selective imprinted polymer as a new modifying agent for the preparation of a novel highly selective and sensitive electrochemical sensor for the determination of ultratrace mercury ions

A simple and very selective electrode, based on a mercury ion imprinted polymer (IIP), and its application for the determination of Hg(2+) ions in the real samples is introduced. Mercury ion selective cavities were created in the vinyl pyridine based cross-linked polymer. In order to fabricate the sensor carbon particles and polymer powder were mixed with melted n-eicosane. An explicit difference was observed between the responses of the electrodes modified with IIP and non imprinted polymer (NIP), indicating proper performance of the recognition sites of the IIP. Various factors, known to affect the response behavior of selective electrode, were investigated and optimized. The interference of different ionic species with the response of the electrode was also studied. The results revealed that, compared to previously developed mercury selective sensors, the proposed sensor was more selective, regarding the common potential interferer. This sensor showed a linear response range of 2.5 × 10(-9)-5.0 × 10(-7) M and lower detection limit of 5.2 × 10(-10) M (S/N). The sensor was successfully applied to the determination of mercury in real samples.     

Selective Adsorption of Co(Ⅱ)by Mesoporous Silica SBA-15-Supported Surface Ion Imprinted Polymer:Kinetics,Isotherms,and Thermodynamics Studies

A novel surface ion imprinted adsorbent [Co(II)‐IIP] using polyethyleneimine (PEI) as function monomer and ordered mesoporous silica SBA‐15 as support matrix was prepared for Co(II) analysis with high selectivity. The prepared polymer was characterized by Fourier transmission infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption‐desorption isotherm. Bath experiments of Co(II) adsorption onto Co(II)‐IIP were performed under the optimum conditions. The experimental data were analyzed by pseudo‐first‐order and pseudo‐second‐order kinetic models. It was found that the pseudo‐second‐order model best correlated the kinetic data. The intraparticle diffusion and liquid film diffusion were applied to discuss the adsorption mechanism. The results showed that Co(II) adsorption onto IIP was controlled by the intraparticle diffusion mechanism, along with a considerable film diffusion contribution. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin‐Radushke‐ vich adsorption models were applied to determine the isotherm parameters. Langmuir model fitted the experiment data well and the maximum calculated capacity of Co(II) reached 39.26 mg/g under room temperature. The thermodynamic data were indicative of the spontaneousness of the endothermic sorption process of Co(II) onto Co(II)‐IIP. Co(II)‐IIP showed high affinity and selectivity for template ion compared with non imprinted polymer (NIP).     

Chromatographic characteristics of cholesterol-imprinted polymers prepared by covalent and non-covalent imprinting methods

Cholesterol-imprinted polymers were prepared in bulk polymerization by the methods of covalent and non-covalent imprinting. The former involved the use of a template-containing monomer, cholesteryl (4-vinyl)phenyl carbonate, while the latter used the complexes of template and functional monomer, methacrylic acid or 4-vinylpyridine prior to polymerization. Columns packed with these molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were all able to separate cholesterol from other steroids. For different combinations of cholesterol and beta-estradiol concentrations in a total of 1 g/l, the peak retention times for both compounds were nearly constant. The adsorption capacity for cholesterol onto the MIPs was found to significantly depend on the use of functional monomers, but the selectivity factors were only slightly different from each other at 2.9 to 3.2 since the separation was all based on the specific binding of cholesterol to recognition sites formed on the imprinted polymers. The capacity factors for cholesterol were determined to be 3.5, 4.0 and 3.1, respectively, for covalently imprinted, 4-vinylpyridine-based, and methacrylic acid-based non-covalently imprinted polymers. However, the covalently imprinted polymer was found to have a higher adsorption capacity for cholesterol and about fivefold higher chromatographic efficiency for cholesterol separation, in comparison with non-covalently imprinted polymers. The use of covalent imprinting significantly reduced the peak broadening and tailing. This advantage along with constant retention suggests that the covalently imprinted polymer has potential for quantitative analysis.