Ion imprinted beads embedded cryogels for in vitro removal of iron from β‐thalassemic human plasma

Abstract

AbstractMolecular recognition based Fe3+ imprinted poly(GMA‐MAC) (MIP) beads embedded PHEMA composite cryogel was prepared for selective removal of Fe3+ ions from β‐thalassemia patient plasma. The precomplexation was achieved by the coordination of Fe3+ ions with N‐methacryloyl‐(L)‐cysteine methyl ester (MAC‐Fe3+). MIP beads were prepared by dispersion polymerization in the presence of MAC‐Fe3+ complex and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomer. Then the MIP beads were embedded into poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) cryogel. The specific surface area and the swelling degree of the PHEMA‐MIP composite cryogel were found to be 76.8 m2/g and 7.7 g H2O/g cryogel, respectively. The maximum adsorption amount of Fe3+ ions was 2.23 mg/g. The relative selectivity of PHEMA‐MIP composite cryogel towards the Fe3+ ions was 135.0, 61.4, and 57.0 times greater than that of the PHEMA‐NIP cryogel as compared with the Ni2+, Zn2+, and Fe2+ ions, respectively. PHEMA‐MIP composite cryogel was recovered and reused many times without any significant decrease in its adsorption capacity. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012