Molecularly imprinted polymers grafted to flow through poly(trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) monoliths for...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are crucial for selective molecular recognition.
• Developing efficient synthesis methods for MIPs in micro-scale applications remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel in-situ photo-polymerization technique for monolithic MIPs (mMIPs).
• To create specific cavities on the surface of the polymer for targeted anaesthetic molecules.
• To evaluate the retention properties and selectivity of the synthesized mMIPs for anaesthetics.

Main Methods:

• In-situ photo-polymerization of trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate in a UV-transparent capillary.
• Photo-grafting to create specific cavities using anaesthetics (bupivacaine, mepivacaine, S-ropivacaine) as templates.
• Evaluation of retention factors and selectivity factors on a micro-system.
• Characterization using SEM, BET, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and NMR.

Main Results:

• High imprinting factors and good selectivity factors were achieved for the target anaesthetics.
• Demonstrated stereo-specific imprinting capabilities with enantiomeric targets.
• Successful imprinting with a mixture of anaesthetics, highlighting potential as a sample enrichment entity.

Conclusions:

• The novel photo-polymerization and grafting technique offers an efficient route to synthesize highly selective mMIPs.
• The developed mMIPs show promise for selective separation and enrichment of anaesthetics in micro-analytical systems.
• The materials exhibit excellent potential for applications in pharmaceutical analysis and sample preparation.