Zsanett Dorkó

Binding capacity of molecularly imprinted polymers and their nonimprinted analogs

Molecularly imprinted polymers bind their target compounds at binding sites. The binding sites are typically based on some type of functional group, such as carboxyl group. The total amount of such functional groups and their distribution into available and unavailable groups is not well known. The total binding capacity is usually indirectly determined from adsorption isotherms, which are measured much below the theoretical binding capacity. This work shows that in a variety of differently prepared, methacrylic acid based molecularly imprinted and nonimprinted polymers, all carboxylic groups used for the polymer synthesis are retained in the polymer, 80-90% of them can be accessed by strong bases and essentially the same amount can be used for adsorption of weak bases. This high level of adsorption can only be achieved, however, if the adsorbed weak base is strong enough, if the polymer is sufficiently elastic and if the solvent does not compete too strongly for the binding sites. These results may explain why the maximum binding capacities obtained from isotherm measurements are usually not equal to the total amount of available binding sites. This study confirms the usefulness of nonimprinted polymers at high loadings.

Selectivity in analytical chemistry: Two interpretations for univariate methods

Selectivity is extremely important in analytical chemistry but its definition is elusive despite continued efforts by professional organizations and individual scientists. This paper shows that the existing selectivity concepts for univariate analytical methods broadly fall in two classes: selectivity concepts based on measurement error and concepts based on response surfaces (the response surface being the 3D plot of the univariate signal as a function of analyte and interferent concentration, respectively). The strengths and weaknesses of the different definitions are analyzed and contradictions between them unveiled. The error based selectivity is very general and very safe but its application to a range of samples (as opposed to a single sample) requires the knowledge of some constraint about the possible sample compositions. The selectivity concepts based on the response surface are easily applied to linear response surfaces but may lead to difficulties and counterintuitive results when applied to nonlinear response surfaces. A particular advantage of this class of selectivity is that with linear response surfaces it can provide a concentration independent measure of selectivity. In contrast, the error based selectivity concept allows only yes/no type decision about selectivity.

Isotherm charts for material selection and method development with molecularly imprinted polymers and other sorbents

A simple and efficient method is presented for assessing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) and other sorbents from the point of view of practical applications. The adsorption isotherms of the compounds, which need to be separated or detected in an application, are constructed from a small number of measured points on a log-log chart and then are compared graphically. Despite its simplicity and robustness this method reveals the information needed for optimal selection between MIPs and alternative sorbents. The design of separation or detection methods with MIPs is also supported by the proposed graphical isotherm comparison. Many experimental isotherms are presented supporting the proposed method.

The Selectivity of Polymers Imprinted with Amines

One of the main reasons for making molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) has been that MIPs interact selectively with a specific target compound. This claim is investigated here with the example of a widely used type of noncovalent MIP, the MIP for the beta blocker propranolol. Adsorption isotherms of this MIP and of a nonimprinted control polymer (NIP), respectively, have been measured with a series of compounds in the porogen solvent acetonitrile. The results, visualized as “selectivity ladders”, show that the MIP binds propranolol and many other amines better than the NIP does, but the selectivity of the MIP is actually inferior to that of the NIP. The selectivity of either polymer for propranolol is modest against many amines, but is remarkable with respect to other compounds. The contribution of imprinting towards selectivity can be better appreciated when three MIPs, made with different amine templates, are compared among themselves. Each MIP is seen to bind its own template slightly better than the other two MIPs do. In media different from the porogen, the selectivity patterns may change substantially. Propranolol seems to have properties that make it stand high on the selectivity scale in different solvents, albeit for different reasons.

New Methods to Study the Behavior of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers in Aprotic Solvents

This work presents three new experimental methods for studying molecular imprinting. The electric conductivity measurements of the pre-polymerization mixture of amine templates in an aprotic solvent provide evidence of ionic dissociation of the pre-polymerization complexes. The displacement measurement of the template propranolol from its molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) using a quaternary ammonium ion in toluene, shows that this MIP behaves as an ion exchanger even in a non-polar solvent. The same experiment also shows that template binding to the MIP from toluene involves ionic interaction. The third experimental method introduced here serves to study the models of template binding on MIPs. To this end the binding isotherm of propranolol (PR) has been measured on a polymer mixture consisting of non-imprinted control polymer (NIP) and a stronger binding acidic polymer, respectively. All three methods are suitable for studying several other imprinting systems.