In situ synthesis of molecularly imprinted nanoparticles in porous support membranes using high‐viscosity polymerization solvents

Abstract

There is a growing need in membrane separations for novel membrane materials providing selective retention. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are promising candidates for membrane functionalization. In this work, a novel approach is described to prepare composite membrane adsorbers incorporating molecularly imprinted microparticles or nanoparticles into commercially available macroporous filtration membranes. The polymerization is carried out in highly viscous polymerization solvents, and the particles are formed in situ in the pores of the support membrane. MIP particle composite membranes selective for terbutylazine were prepared and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and N₂ porosimetry. By varying the polymerization solvent microparticles or nanoparticles with diameters ranging from several hundred nanometers to 1 µm could be embedded into the support. The permeability of the membranes was in the range of 1000 to 20,000 Lm⁻² hr⁻¹ bar⁻¹. The imprinted composite membranes showed high MIP/NIP (nonimprinted polymer) selectivity for the template in organic media both in equilibrium-rebinding measurements and in filtration experiments. The solid phase extraction of a mixture of the template, its analogs, and a nonrelated compound demonstrated MIP/NIP selectivity and substance selectivity of the new molecularly imprinted membrane. The synthesis technique offers a potential for the cost-effective production of selective membrane adsorbers with high capacity and high throughput.

Green molecularly imprinted polymers for sustainable sample preparation

“…As mentioned above, from a green perspective, in-situ polymerization, where the whole polymerization mixture is used and thus waste generation is minimized, is recommended. In this regard, as an alternative to traditional SPE cartridges, Horváth and co-workers proposed the in-situ synthesis of MIPs, into a cartridge, on the surface of microfiltration glass fiber membranes in multi-well filter plates [69][70][71]. The obtained MIP composite membranes allowed high throughput analysis offering a viable alternative to SPE cartridges.…”

Microsphere Polymers in Molecular Imprinting: Current and Future Perspectives

“…Furthermore, a large amount of solvent might adversely impact the template–monomer complex, shifting the equilibrium to the uncomplexed form and decreasing the amount of imprinted binding sites. To overcome this, some studies [ 51 , 53 , 54 ] have successfully prepared MIMs by modifying the conventional precipitation polymerisation method, so that very high monomer concentrations could be added (≥25–40 v / v %), by using appropriate solvent or solvent mixtures. The solvent needs to be thermodynamically poor, i.e., it either has a large molar volume or has a significantly different solubility parameter compared to the polymer.…”

Sample Preparation for LC‐MS Bioanalysis of Proteins

“…The in-situ synthesis of MIPs on the surface of microfiltration glass-fiber membranes in multi-well filter plates has been also proposed (Ceolin et al 2009;Renkecz et al 2011Renkecz et al , 2012. Briefly, the synthesis procedure is as follows: firstly, membranes of a 24-well filter plate are washed with methanol and dried before use.…”