N-methacryloyl-L-histidine methyl ester (MAH) (functional monomer) Cytidine (template molecule) Template removal Rebinding Separation and Analysis Adsorption of cytidine on magnetic nanoparticles Magnet Molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles (MIP)

Magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles were fabricated for cytidine adsorption. Molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared by complexing N‐methacryloyl‐l‐histidine/Cu(II) and cytidine as a template molecule in a highly cross‐linked polymer. Magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles were tested in batch experiments with aqueous samples of cytidine, and several parameters were investigated. The N‐methacryloyl‐l‐histidine/Cu(II) complex was selected to obtain a rebinding of cytidine on the magnetic nanoparticles. The template molecule was removed using 1.0 M NaCl as a desorption agent. The adsorption of cytidine was optimal in a buffer solution of pH 7.4 for 120 min with adsorption capacity of 39.77 mg/g. The imprinted polymer‐based magnetic nanoparticles were selective toward cytidine as compared to the analogs (uridine and thymidine). The adsorption fitted a Langmuir isotherm model with an R2 value of 0.9861 and the Qmax value of 43.86 mg/g for the magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles.