Highly selective separations by capillary electrochromatography: molecular imprint polymer sorbents

Molecular imprint polymers (MIPs) are synthesized in the presence of a template, or 'imprint' molecule which results in the formation of specific recognition cavities complementary to the template in shape and chemical functionality. The resultant MIP then acts as a selective binding medium for the template molecule. The utility of MIPs lies in the selectivity of the rebinding process, which is based on molecular recognition. In many cases, the selectivity achieved with MIPs toward a particular molecule is comparable to that observed with antibodies. This has led to the application of MIPs to several areas of analytical chemistry including immunoassays, sensors and separations media. One of the most successful application areas of MIPs has been as chromatographic sorbents, where they have been utilized predominately in chiral separations. The use of MIP sorbents in CEC is attractive in that it combines the selectivity of a molecular recognition process with the enhanced flow dynamics of CEC, which can result in higher efficiency and shorter analysis times. This paper will review the use of molecular imprinted stationary phases in CEC. Following a brief introduction to molecular imprinting, various methodologies for preparation of MIP-CEC capillaries in addition to applications of the technique will be discussed.