Influence of polymer morphology on the ability of imprinted network polymers to resolve enantiomers

Abstract

Network copolymers imprinted with l-phenylalanine anilide ( l-PheNHPh) exhibit an affinity for the print molecule. The binding of l-PheNHPh to the polymer can be quantitatively evaluated by employing the material as a stationary phase in a HPLC experiment. The degree of separation of the d and l enantiomers of PheNHPh (α value) is used to establish the influence of polymer morphology on polymer performance. Factors that promote stabilization of the template-polymerizable monomer complex prior to polymerization results in polymers with stronger and more selective binding of the substrate. Interestingly, a gel-like non-porous polymer performed similarly to a mesoporous polymer. Performance is also improved upon heat treatment of the polymers and various ways to inhibit the molecular recognition effect are demonstrated.