Fabrication of Multilayered Molecularly Imprinted Membrane for Selective Recognition and Separation of Artemisinin

Abstract

Molecularly imprinted membranes with multifunctional layers for artemisinin separation and purification were fabricated on porous chitosan membranes. The molecularly imprinted layer was fabricated through an in situ activator generated by electron transfer–atom transfer radical polymerization method by using artemisinin as the templet molecule. Properties of the prepared materials were characterized by SEM, IR, XPS, EDS, AFM, etc. Adsorption ability and dynamics, permeation capacity, and reusability have been investigated. Results indicate that this kind of molecularly imprinted membrane possesses desirable adsorption ability for artemisinin (18.89 mg/g) and permselectivity factors (β) as high as 2.15 and 2.03 toward artemether and artesunate, respectively. Mechanism of selective adsorption and permeation was unveiled by molecular simulation, which indicates that the tailor-made recognition sites on the membrane possess higher interaction force toward artemisinin than artemether or artesunate, resulting in artemisinin adsorption by the membrane and separation of this drug from its analogues. The method developed here provides an environmental friendly and sustainable technology for separation and purification of natural products.

A review on the latest advances in extraction and analysis of artemisinin

“…Most of these analytical techniques or assays for artemisinin ( 1 ) reported until the end of year 2016 have been well documented and appraised in the book published by Tu . However, since then, several modified, and somewhat more precise and fast analytical protocols (Table ), mainly involving various HPLC systems, have been reported in the literature. The following subsections will summarise and appraise those new published protocols.…”

“…Molecular imprinting technology is a method of making a molecular lock to match a molecular key to create molecularly imprinted polymers with tailor‐made binding sites complementary to the template molecules in shape, size and functional groups. This technique has recently been used in the analysis of artemisinin ( 1 ) . For example, molecularly imprinted membranes with multifunctional layers for the separation and purification of artemisinin ( 1 ) were constructed on porous chitosan membranes, and a biomimetic electrochemical sensor for the determination of artemisinin ( 1 ) in plant extracts and for pharmacokinetic studies was introduced where a novel molecularly imprinted polymer‐based electrochemical sensor was developed by electropolymerisation of o ‐phenylenediamine in the presence of artemisinin ( 1 ) on gold wire surface .…”

“…For example, molecularly imprinted membranes with multifunctional layers for the separation and purification of artemisinin ( 1 ) were constructed on porous chitosan membranes, and a biomimetic electrochemical sensor for the determination of artemisinin ( 1 ) in plant extracts and for pharmacokinetic studies was introduced where a novel molecularly imprinted polymer‐based electrochemical sensor was developed by electropolymerisation of o ‐phenylenediamine in the presence of artemisinin ( 1 ) on gold wire surface . Zhang et al . fabricated the molecularly imprinted layer through an in situ activator generated by electron transfer‐atom transfer radical polymerisation method by using artemisinin ( 1 ) as the template molecule.…”

“…Molecularly imprinted membranes with multifunctional layers for the separation and purification of artemisinin (1) were constructed on porous chitosan membranes. 40 A biomimetic electrochemical sensor for the determination of artemisinin (1) in plant extracts and for pharmacokinetic studies. A novel molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor was developed by electropolymerisation of o-phenylenediamine in the presence of artemisinin (1) on gold wire surface.…”

“…40,41 For example, molecularly imprinted membranes with multifunctional layers for the separation and purification of artemisinin (1) were constructed on porous chitosan membranes, 40 and a biomimetic electrochemical sensor for the determination of artemisinin (1) in plant extracts and for pharmacokinetic studies was introduced where a novel molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor was developed by electropolymerisation of o-phenylenediamine in the presence of artemisinin (1) on gold wire surface. 41 Zhang et al 40 Waffo et al 41 reported a novel biomimetic electrochemical sensor developed for rapid, sensitive and specific determination of artemisinin (1) using a simple and cost-effective approach. The formation of both non-imprinted polymer and molecularly imprinted polymer layers could be qualitatively characterised spectrophotometrically.…”