Uniformly-sized, molecularly imprinted polymers for nicotine by precipitation polymerization

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Separation Science

Background:

• Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic receptors with tailored binding sites.
• Developing selective materials for nicotine recognition is crucial for analytical and environmental monitoring.
• Previous methods for nicotine separation often lack sufficient selectivity or efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare uniformly-sized molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for (S)-nicotine.
• To evaluate the molecular recognition capabilities of the synthesized MIPs.
• To achieve enantioseparation of nicotine and its selective trapping from complex matrices.

Main Methods:

• Precipitation polymerization using methacrylic acid (MAA) or 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid (TFMAA) as functional monomers and divinylbenzene (DVB) as a cross-linker.
• Preparation of (S)-nicotine-imprinted polymers in a toluene/acetonitrile mixture.
• Evaluation of molecular recognition using liquid chromatography with a sodium phosphate buffer/acetonitrile eluent.

Main Results:

• (S)-nicotine-imprinted MAA-co-DVB polymers formed monodispersed microspheres (~4 µm).
• TFMAA-co-DVB polymers resulted in a gel-like structure.
• MAA-co-DVB MIPs achieved enantioseparation of nicotine and selectively trapped nicotine from cigarette smoke extracts.

Conclusions:

• Uniformly-sized MIPs based on MAA and DVB are effective for (S)-nicotine recognition and enantioseparation.
• These MIPs demonstrate selective trapping of nicotine, applicable to real-world samples like cigarette smoke.
• The developed MIPs offer a promising tool for the selective analysis and purification of nicotine.