Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) are materials used for the selective separation of analytes. This is accomplished by mixing the analyte and monomer in solution, then polymerizing with a cross-linking monomer to produce a polymer network. Upon extraction of the analyte, the MIP exhibits sites with recognition only for the imprinted template.Recent advances in the materials for molecular imprinting have provided significant improvement of chiral selectivity. A new crosslinker with carboxylate functionality, N,O-bismethacryloyl serine (NOS), has been introduced as a more effective functional monomer versus the traditionally used methacrylic acid. The aim of this project is to investigate the optimal functional-monomer/crosslinker mixture ratio for molecularly imprinting enantiomerically pure compounds. Several polymers, each of varying ratios of NOS to the traditionally used crosslinker ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EDGMA) will be evaluated by their enantioselectivity for the template molecule, S-nicotine. HPLC results are reported to compare the binding potential of the MIPs and estimate their ability to remove or separate these enantiomers from various mixtures, including racemic mixtures.

Evaluating the effect of the monomer ratio (NOS/EDGMA) on the enantiomeric separation of (R,S)-Nicotine on a molecularly imprinted polymer

239th National Meeting (2010)

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