Synthesis and evaluation of a molecularly imprinted polymer for selective on-line solid-phase extraction of 4-nitrophenol from environmental water

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) able to bind 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) was prepared using noncovalent molecular imprinting methods and evaluated as a selective sorbent in molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) on-line coupled to a reversed-phase HPLC. It has been shown that the conditions chosen for washing the MIP and for eluting the analyte in the MISPE process are extremely important for ensuring good selectivity and recovery. River water samples, spiked with the 11 Environmental Protection Agency phenolic compounds at microgram per liter levels, were preconcentrated on-line using this MIP, and 4-NP was selectively extracted. The humic acid interference was simultaneously reduced considerably. The MIP was also compared with a commercially available highly cross-linked polymer (LiChrolut EN) and the former yielded cleaner extracts.     

Design of size-tunable molecularly imprinted polymer for selective adsorption of acetaminophen

Pharmaceutical and personal care products are a broad and diverse group of biologically active compounds which are widely used and unregulated suspected carcinogens. In this study, the fabrication of molecularly imprinting polymer (MIP) particles by precipitation polymerisation were developed to selectively and rapidly capture acetaminophen, a commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drug, by hydrogen and hydrophobic bondings. Methacrylic acid, 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate and 2, 2′-azobis-isobutyronitrile were utilised as the functional monomer, cross-linker and initiator. Acetonitrile was found to be the optimised porogen to obtain imprinted polymers with surface area and pore size of 447.2 m²/g and 3.35 nm. By adjusting the ratio of cross-linker and functional monomer, the particle size of MIPs changed from 177 to 2782 nm when the ratio increased from 0.43 to 12.8. In addition, the adsorption equilibrium of acetaminophen by MIPs can be reached within the first 30 min because of the surface imprinting characteristics and small particle sizes. In addition, the maximum adsorption capacity of acetaminophen and the adsorption constant, well fitted by Langmuir equation, were 0.35 mg/g and 0.045 L/mg. In addition, the MIPs exhibited the excellent selectivity to acetaminophen. The high surface area and adsorption capacity and excellent selectivity make MIPs an ideal tailor-made green material and can open the door to develop the novel technology for adsorption and removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products in the environment.     

Evaluation of a multidimensional solid-phase extraction platform for highly selective on-line cleanup and high-throughput LC-MS analysis of triazines in river water samples using molecularly imprinted polymers

A novel highly selective sample cleanup procedure based on the use of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as solid-phase extraction materials has been evaluated with respect to its applicability and routine use in environmental analysis. The method comprises the combination of a restricted access material (RAM) and a MIP allowing a selective sample preparation to be achieved in the online mode. This combination is called the size-selective sample separation and solvent switch (six-SPE). The RAM column combines size exclusion and adsorption chromatography, reducing the concentration of matrix molecules by a cutoff of 15 kDa. The MIP column selectively retains the triazine analytes whereas the residual matrix is not retained and separated completely. Thus, the automated RAM-MIP is capable of excluding all matrix and nontarget compounds. The cleaned and enriched extract is subsequently eluted to an HPLC column and analyzed by LC-MS. A complete on-line analysis cycle including multidimensional solid-phase extraction, separation, and detection takes less than 15 min. Terbuthylazine, atrazine, propazine, simazine, ametryn, prometryn, irgarol, and also the metabolites deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine can be determined without any matrix interferences, e.g., by humic acids. The whole setup is fully automated and may be continuously operated. Nonspecific interactions with the polymer are below 1% in all cases. The accuracy of the LC-MIP-LC-MS system was controlled using a certified reference material (Aquacheck). The applicability of the method to the cleanup of real samples was demonstrated by injection of contaminated river water samples. The stability of different polymers was tested by consecutive injections, and it was shown that the performance of the materials did not vary even after more than 300 enrichment and desorption cycles.     

In-tube moleculary imprinted polymer solid-phase microextraction for the selective determination of propranolol

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) material was synthesized for use as an in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) adsorbent. The inherent selectivity and chemical and physical robustness of the MIP material was demonstrated as an effective stationary-phase material for in-tube SPME. An automated and on-line MIP SPME extraction method was developed for propranolol determination in biological fluids. This simplified the sample preparation process and the chromatographic separation of several beta-blocker compounds. The method developed for propranolol showed improved selectivity in comparison to alternative in-tube stationary-phase materials, overcoming the limitations of existing SPME coating materials. Preconcentration of the sample by the MIP adsorbent increased the sensitivity, yielding a limit of detection of 0.32 microg/mL by UV detection. Excellent method reproducibility (RSD < 5.0%) and column reusability (> 500 injections) were observed over a fairly wide linear dynamic range (0.5-100 microg/mL) in serum samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the automated application of a MIP material for in-tube SPME. The method was inexpensive, simple to set up, and simplified the choice of SPME adsorbent for in-tube extraction. The approach can potentially be extended to other MIPs for the determination of a wide range of chemically significant analytes.     

Determination of theophylline in serum by molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction with pulsed elution

The technique of molecular imprinting is used to produce an extensively cross-linked poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) material that contains theophylline as a print molecule. After Soxhlet extraction of the theophylline, binding sites are formed in the polymer with complementary size, shape, and positioning of chemical functionalities. The molecularly imprinted polymer's (MIP) high theophylline selectivity, chemical stability, and physically robust nature make it an ideal stationary-phase material in columns for HPLC separation of theophylline from other structurally related drug compounds. Mobile-phase tests confirm that a retention mechanism typical of normal-phase chromatography governs the separation, and selectivity of the MIP column can be controlled by a combination of the mobile phase and the sample solvent. Under optimal conditions, the MIP column functions like a solid-phase sorbent for theophylline extraction. Rapid elution of the bound theophylline can be accomplished in a pulsed format through injection of 20 μL of a solvent that has the proper polarity and protic nature to disrupt the electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding between theophylline and binding sites. A concentration detection limit of 120 ng/mL is obtained using direct UV absorption detection at 270 nm, which corresponds to a mass detection limit of 2.4 ng. This new technique, molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction with pulsed elution (MISPE-PE), permits on-line preconcentration of theophylline from a large volume of dilute sample solution. Using a sample volume of 300 μL, a 40 ng/mL standard solution produces a detectable peak signal. Application of MISPE-PE in serum analysis further demonstrates the high capability of the MIP column to selectively isolate theophylline from other matrix components for fast, accurate determination.     

Fibers coated with molecularly imprinted polymers for solid-phase microextraction

The simplicity and flexibility of solid-phase microextraction have been combined with the selectivity of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). Silica fibers were coated reproducible with a 75-microm layer of methacrylate polymer either nonimprinted or imprinted with clenbuterol to compare their extraction characteristics under various conditions. Although the template molecule could be removed effectively from the imprinted polymer, structural analogues of clenbuterol were used for evaluation. The influence of pH on the extractability of brombuterol was investigated. Extraction yields up to approximately 80% were obtained when both types of fibers were used to extract brombuterol from phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). In contrast, yields of about 75 and <5% were obtained when extraction was performed from acetonitrile with imprinted and nonimprinted polymers, respectively, which demonstrates the selectivity of the MIP-coated fiber. Time sorption profiles were measured for the extraction of brombuterol from buffer and acetonitrile at the 10 and 100 ng/mL level with both types of fibers in order to compare extraction characteristics. Equilibrium times of about 30 and 90 min were found for the extraction of brombuterol from acetonitrile and buffer, respectively. The MIP-coated fibers were capable of extracting five structural analogues of clenbuterol from both buffer and acetonitrile, which suggests that the amine alcohol part of these molecules is responsible for interaction with the imprinted polymer. To achieve selective extraction of brombuterol from human urine, MIP-coated fibers were washed with acetonitrile after the extraction. Clean extracts and yields of approximately 45% were obtained, demonstrating the suitability of MIP-coated fibers for the analysis of biological samples.     

核-壳型罗丹明6G磁性分子印迹固相萃取材料的合成与表征

采用化学共沉淀法制备Fe3O4磁性纳米粒子,以3-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷(APTES)对其表面进行氨基硅烷化改性,形成Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2纳米粒子。以其作为磁性核,采用表面印迹技术,以罗丹明6G为模板,丙烯酰胺(AM)为功能单体,三羟甲基丙烷三甲基丙烯酸酯(TRIM)为交联剂,在Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2表面形成罗丹明6G分子印迹聚合膜,制备了核-壳型罗丹明6G磁性分子印迹聚合物(Fe3O4@MIPs),对合成条件进行了优化。分别采用红外光谱(FT-IR)、场发射扫描电镜(FESEM)、振动样品磁强分析(VSM)和热重分析(TGA)等仪器分析手段,对Fe3O4@MIPs的结构进行表征。结果表明,所制备的核-壳型磁性分子印迹聚合物具有高吸附容量及显著选择性;在外加磁场作用下Fe3O4@MIPs可快速与样品基质分离,大大提高了实验效率。Fe3O4@MIPs作为一种新型固相萃取材料,可以从样品中选择性分离和富集违规添加的罗丹明6G,可应用于食品的安全检测。     

Trace-level sensing of creatine in real sample using a zwitterionic molecularly imprinted polymer brush grafted to sol-gel modified graphite electrode

Zwitterionic molecularly imprinted polymeric chains were tethered to the sol-gel modified graphite electrode in brush pattern of high density, for the quantitative estimation of creatine at trace level, without any cross reactivity, in real samples. The modified electrode was activated by preanodization at + 1.4 V (vs. saturated calomel electrode) for the fast ion-exchange recapture of creatine, under mild basic condition (pH 7.1). The detection limit was as low as 1.3 µg mL^− 1 (signal/noise = 3) employing differential pulse, cathodic stripping technique.     

Analysis of nicotine and its oxidation products in nicotine chewing gum by a molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction

Chromatographic stationary phases showing exceptional selectivity for nicotine can be prepared by the technique of molecular imprinting. Such phases were used in the search for a rapid cleanup step for nicotine and some of its oxidation products in chewing gum formulations. Thus, using an organic mobile phase, the nicotine analytes from chewing gums dissolved in nonpolar solvent were retained, whereas the nonpolar matrix eluted close to the void peak. A subsequent switch to an acidic mobile phase resulted in elution of the analytes as one sharp peak. Due to weak binding of the less basic oxidation products, other imprinted polymers were tested, and the solid-phase extraction procedure was optimized. Polymers were prepared using various functional and cross-linking monomers, templates, porogens and thermal treatments. This resulted in phases that, when compared with a nonimprinted or a C18 reversed-phase column, showed significantly higher recoveries of the analytes. Furthermore, no bleeding of template from the phases could be detected. The cleanup step was coupled off-line to reversed-phase HPLC, and the efficiency of the analysis was compared with and without the cleanup step. Three out of four analytes were quantitatively recovered using the imprinted phase, whereas, using the nonimprinted phase, only nicotine was recovered. Without the cleanup step, none of the analytes could be determined using the reversed-phase HPLC method.     

Advantages of molecularly imprinted polymers LC-ESI-MS/MS for the selective extraction and quantification of chloramphenicol in milk-based matrixes. comparison with a classical sample preparation

A simple and fast selective extraction of the antibiotic chloramphenicol (CAP) from milk (raw milk, skimmed milk, and milk powder) using a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sorbent is described. The method entails a single centrifugation step prior to loading the supernatant onto the MIP cartridge and subsequent elution with a mixture of solvents. CAP was further analyzed by isotope dilution liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) operating in negative ionization acquisition mode. The advantages of the MIP approach were assessed by comparing the data generated from a classical solid-phase and liquid-liquid extractions procedure, previously developed in our laboratory. A better recovery of CAP due to an enhanced selectivity and a faster turnaround time (18 samples processed within 3 h compared to 8 h with the classical approach) were evidenced when using the MIP cleanup. The analysis of CAP in raw milk was further validated according to the 2002/657/EC European Union criteria for the analysis of veterinary drug residues at the minimum required performance limit (MRPL) of 0.3 microg/kg, using CAP-d(5) as internal standard. Non-internal-standard corrected recovery values ranged between 50% and 87% over the range of concentrations considered. The decision limit (CCalpha) and detection capability (CCbeta) were calculated to be 0.06 and 0.10 microg/kg, respectively.     

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymer as a sorbent for solid phase extraction of citalopram from human serum and urine

This paper describes a new method for the determination of citalopram in biological fluids using molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction as the sample cleanup technique combined with high performance liquid chromatography. The molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared using methacrylic acid as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker, chloroform as porogen and citalopram hydrobromide as the template molecule. The novel imprinted polymer was used as a solid-phase extraction sorbent for the extraction of citalopram from human serum and urine. Effective parameters on citalopram retention were studied. The optimal conditions for molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction consisted of conditioning with 1 mL methanol and 1 mL of deionized water at neutral pH, loading of citalopram sample (50 μg L(-1)) at pH 9.0, washing using 1 mL acetone and elution with 3 × 1 mL of 10 % (v/v) acetic acid in methanol. The MIP selectivity was evaluated by checking several substances with similar molecular structures to that of citalopram. Results from the HPLC analyses showed that the calibration curve of citalopram using MIP from human serum and urine is linear in the ranges of 1-100 and 2-120 μg L(-1) with good precisions (2.5 and 1.5 % for 10.0 μg L(-1)), and recoveries (between 82-86 and 83-85 %), respectively.     

分子印迹聚合物膜的制备及其应用

分子印迹膜兼具分子印迹与膜技术的优点,近年来已成为分子印迹技术领域研究的热点之一.首先对分子印迹技术及分子印迹膜进行了简介,继而重点对分子印迹膜的主要制备方法,包括原位聚合法、相转化法、表面修饰法和电化学聚合法等进行了评述,对现有分子印迹膜的分离性能进行了总结和分析.最后对分子印迹膜在手性物质拆分、固相萃取、农药残留检测及仿生传感等领域的应用及其研究方向进行了介绍和展望.     

Probing the recognition of molecularly imprinted polymer beads

A facile, robust and cost-effective suspension polymerisation methodology for the generation of ibuprofen molecularly imprinted polymers in bead formats was evaluated. Mineral oil was employed as the continuous phase whereby microdroplets of the pre-polymerisation mixture were formed through vigorous agitation, followed by photo-polymerisation resulting in formation of imprinted beads. For comparison purposes, irregular particles were also prepared from monolith polymers. Physical characteristics of the imprinted polymers were investigated using scanning electron microscope, particle size distribution, nitrogen sorption porosimetry and solvent swelling ratios, with subsequent correlation of these parameters to analyte rebinding performance. Overall, an increase in affinity was observed with decreasing the degree of cross-linking, however, specific rebinding was compromised. An inverse relationship between polymer affinity for the template and surface area was identified, while solvent swelling ratios were directly related to polymer affinity. Correlation between pre-polymerisation studies and polymer binding performance highlighted the significance of employing the polymerisation solvent in template rebinding in order to achieve superior recognition capabilities. Additionally, shape selectivity of binding sites was demonstrated by the decreased binding performance of template structural analogues to the imprinted polymer.     

Molecular engineering of fluorescent penicillins for molecularly imprinted polymer assays

The interaction of seven novel fluorescent labeled beta-lactams with a library of six polymer materials molecularly imprinted (MI) with penicillin G (PenG) has been evaluated using both radioactive and fluorescence competitive assays. The highly fluorescent competitors (emission quantum yields of 0.4-0.95) have been molecularly engineered to contain pyrene or dansyl labels while keeping intact the 6-aminopenicillanic acid moiety for efficient recognition by the cross-linked polymers. Pyrenemethylacetamidopenicillanic acid (PAAP) is the tagged antibiotic that provides the highest selectivity when competing with PenG for the specific binding sites in a MI polymer prepared with methacrylic acid and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (10:15 molar ratio) in acetonitrile in the presence of PenG. Molecular modeling shows that recognition of the fluorescent analogues of PenG by the MI material is due to a combination of size and shape selectivity and demonstrates how critical the choice of label and tether chain is. PAAP has been applied to the development of a fluorescence competitive assay for PenG analysis with a dynamic range of 3-890 muM in 99:1 acetonitrile-water solution. Competitive binding studies demonstrate various degrees of cross-reactivity for some antibiotics derived from 6-aminopenicillanic acid, particularly amoxicillin, ampicillin, and penicillin V (but not oxacillin, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, or nafcillin). Other antibiotics, such as chloramphenicol, tetracycline, or cephapirin, do not compete with PAAP for binding to the imprinted polymer. The MI assay has successfully been tested for PenG analysis in a pharmaceutical formulation.     

磁性分子印迹聚合物微球的应用研究进展

将磁性分离技术与分子印迹技术相结合,制备磁性分子印迹聚合物(MMIPMs),该复合材料兼具良好的超顺磁性和高选择吸附性两大优点,具有广阔的应用前景。文章重点综述了磁性分子印迹聚合物微球在食品检测、医药领域、手性药物拆分、生物分离和环境检测方面的应用进展,并指出未来发展方向。     

利用辐射聚合方法制备黄芩素分子印迹聚合物

首次采用电子加速器高能电子束辐射聚合的方法制备黄芩素分子印迹聚合物。该方法与传统的聚合方式相比,具有无需添加引发剂、反应速度快、生成产物稳定等特点。只需以中药活性成分黄芩素为模板分子,α-甲基丙烯酸为功能单体,就可以制备具有特异选择吸附性的黄芩素分子印迹聚合物。并运用红外光谱分析、透射电子显微镜、扫描电镜研究了黄芩素分子印迹聚合物的结构。     

Removal of water-soluble acid dyes from water environment using a novel magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer

Novel magnetic and hydrophilic molecularly imprinted polymers (mag-MIPs) were prepared by an inverse emulsion-suspension polymerization to remove water-soluble acid dyes from contaminated water with 1-(α-methyl acrylate)-3-methylimidazolium bromide (1-MA-3MI-Br) being utilized as a new functional monomer. The thermal stability, chemical structure and magnetic property of the 1-MA-3MI-Br-mag-MIPs were characterized by the thermal-gravimetric analyzer (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. Moreover, effect of concentration and pH value of water-soluble acid dye solutions was optimized. Compared with the methyl acrylic acid and 4-vinylpyridine modified mag-MIPs, the 1-MA-3MI-Br-mag-MIPs showed enhanced removal efficiency. Kinetic studies depicted that the adsorption process on 1-MA-3MI-Br-mag-MIPs followed pseudo-second-order rate mechanism. Investigation results of 5 times removal-regeneration cycles by employing the 1-MA-3MI-Br-mag-MIPs showed that the resulting material was with high stability.     

分子印迹聚合物微球合成方法研究进展

对近年来发展起来的分子印迹聚合物微球(MIPMs)合成方法的研究进展进行了综述。重点介绍了表面分子印迹聚合物合成法、核-壳型分子印迹聚合物合成法、基于β-环糊精分子印迹聚合物的合成法3种新型MIPMs制备方法。阐述了常用的沉淀聚合法、种子溶胀聚合法、悬浮聚合法合成MIPMs的发展现状。最后对MIPMs的发展趋势提出了展望。     

Double-disk solid-phase extraction: simultaneous cleanup and trace enrichment of herbicides and metabolites from environmental samples

Phenylurea and triazine herbicides, including some metabolites, were isolated from water and soil extracts by solid-phase extraction using a layered system of two extraction disks, a method called double-disk solid-phase extraction. The first disk consisted of strong anion exchange (SAX) of 10-micron styrene divinylbenzene (SDB) particles embedded in Teflon, and the second disk was a C18 disk of 10-micron particles also embedded in Teflon. A volume of 500 mL of water or aqueous soil extract is passed through the layered system with the SAX disk first. The purpose of the SAX disk is to remove the humic and fulvic acids from the water or aqueous soil extract by ion exchange through their carboxyl groups. Even during methanol elution of herbicides, the humic substances remain bound to the SAX disk with > 85% retention. Elution with methanol results in more than 90% recovery of the herbicides from the layered extraction disks. Removal of the humic and fulvic acids results in greater sensitivity for diode array detection quantitation (0.05 micrograms/L for herbicides) by substantially reducing the absorbance of the humic peak on the LC chromatogram. The herbicides adsorb to the SAX disk either through hydrogen bonding to the anion-exchange sites or by hydrophobic interaction with the SDB surface of the anion-exchange disk. The method was tested for the analysis of natural water samples from the Mississippi Embayment, a cotton-growing area of the southeastern United States.