We have reported
the synthesis of epitope-imprinted mesoporous
silica (EIMS) with an average pore size of 6.2 nm, which is similar
to the geometrical size of the target protein, cytochrome C (Cyt c, 2.6 × 3.2 × 3.3 nm3), showing great recognition and large-scale adsorption performance.
The characteristic fragment of Cyt c was used as
a template and docked onto the surface of C16MIMCl micelles
via multiple interactions. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption and
transmission electron microscopy confirmed the successful preparation
of EIMS. Due to the ordered pore structure, larger pore size, and
high specific surface area, the prepared EIMS show superior specificity
(IF = 3.8), excellent selectivity toward Cyt c, high
adsorption capacity (249.6 mg g–1), and fast adsorption
equilibrium (10 min). This study demonstrates the potential application
of EIMS with a controllable pore size for high-effective and large-scale
separation of Cyt c, providing a new approach for
effective biomacromolecular recognition.