Abstract:
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are new type of materials with tailor
made molecular
recognition sites. Despite their enormous potential in separations,
sensing and pharmaceutical industry, MIPs have so far failed to achieve significant
commercial
application. This is in part due to lack of understanding of MIPs at a
molecular level, strong binding site heterogeneity and poor compatibility with
aqueous solvents. This work is aimed at improving overall MIP performance and
quality, with special focus on the improvement of compatibility with aqueous
environment.
Compatibility with aqueous solvents was achieved by (i) employing a
molecular
modelling step prior to polynerisation, (ii) by studying the ionic properties
of the
polymer and (iii) by analysis of the influence of different polymerisation
conditions. The
study of the pressure and magnetic field effects on polymers allowed
us to
produce materials with increased stability, lower binding site heterogeneity and
higher affinity, as compared to standard imprinted materials. To minimise site
heterogeneity imprinted nanoparticles with ca. 90 kDa were produced using a living
polymerisation method. The particles with essentially uniform population of binding
sites were obtained
by employing affinity chromatography with immobilised
template. As a model system variety of drugs were imprinted with the polymers being
able to discriminate between
closely related structural analogues in aqueous media.
This work had substantial effect on success of project Pisarro - Piezoelectric
Sensing Arrays for Biomolecular Interactions and Gas Monitoring where range of
imprinted polymers were designed with high affinity to drugs of abuse. Currently
1
work is in
progress aimed at application of these materials in commercial sensors for
forensic use.
