Liquid crystal-based molecularly imprinted nanoparticles with low crosslinking for capillary electrochromatography

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Separation Science

Background:

• Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are crucial for selective molecular recognition.
• Traditional MIP synthesis often relies on high levels of chemical crosslinking.
• Developing MIPs with reduced chemical crosslinkers is desirable for tailored properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles using liquid crystalline monomers as physical crosslinkers.
• To investigate the impact of reduced chemical crosslinking on MIP performance for d-zopiclone recognition.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these MIP nanoparticles in enantiomeric separation via capillary electrochromatography.

Main Methods:

• Precipitation polymerization was employed to create d-zopiclone-imprinted nanoparticles.
• Methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and liquid crystalline monomers were used.
• The synthesized MIP nanoparticles were analyzed using capillary electrochromatography with a partial filling technique.

Main Results:

• High enantiomeric separation resolution (up to 3.29) was achieved for zopiclone enantiomers.
• Excellent column efficiency (up to 66,900 plates/m) and good peak symmetry were obtained.
• The MIP nanoparticles maintained template affinity and specificity even with only 5% cross-linker.

Conclusions:

• Liquid crystalline monomers can effectively act as physical crosslinkers in MIP synthesis.
• Reduced chemical crosslinking in MIPs does not compromise their recognition capabilities.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for developing efficient chiral separation materials.