TITLE:
Template-Monomer Interaction in Molecular Imprinting: Is the Strongest the Best?
AUTHORS:
Xuewen Fu, Qiang Yang, Qiang Zhou, Qiang Lin, Chun Wang
KEYWORDS:
Molecular Imprinting, Luteolin, Polymerization, Efficiency
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Organic Polymer Materials,
Vol.5 No.2,
April
14,
2015
ABSTRACT: Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) represent a new class of materials possessing high selectivity
and affinity for the target molecule. They have been utilized as sensors, catalysts, sorbents
for solid-phase extraction, stationary phase for liquid chromatography, mimics of enzymes, receptors,
and antibodies. In this research, molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) for luteolin were prepared
using acrylamide, 4-vinylpyridine and 1-allyl-piperazine as functional monomers and ethylene
glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker by non-covalent imprinting method. UV-visible spectra
were used to evaluate the interaction strength between the template and the monomers. The composites
of the polymers were calculated from elementary analysis. The porous properties of the
imprinted polymers have been determined from nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The
imprinting efficiency of the prepared MIPs was evaluated by selective adsorption for luteolin and
its structural analogues. Although the interaction strength of monomers to the template was in the
order 1-ALPP > 4-VP > AA, the binding affinity of the imprinted polymers towards luteolin was in
the order MIP 2 > MIP 3 > MIP 1. Our results demonstrated that the imprinting efficiency was depending
not only on the interaction strength between the template and the monomer, but also on
the fidelity in transferring the complex into the polymer.