Methacrylic Acid Copolymer Research Articles

Preparação de nanopartículas poliméricas a partir da polimerização de monômeros: parte I

Nanopartículas poliméricas produzidas a partir de polímeros sintéticos, como copolímeros do ácido metacrílico, ésteres acrílicos ou metacrílicos, têm sido amplamente utilizadas na área farmacêutica para encapsulação de princípios ativos. Essas nanopartículas apresentam as vantagens de proteção, liberação controlada, melhor biodisponibilidade e menor toxicidade, proporcionando maior conforto aos pacientes e adesão ao tratamento. A produção das nanopartículas (nanocápsulas e nanosferas) por polimerização de monômeros é revisada e descrita neste artigo, evidenciando os parâmetros tecnológicos que interferem nas características físico-químicas das nanopartículas, como a solubilidade do princípio ativo, o volume e pH do meio de polimerização, a massa molar e concentração do monômero e a natureza e concentração do tensoativo.

Methacrylic-based nanogels for the pH-sensitive delivery of 5-Fluorouracil in the colon

Methacrylic-based copolymers in drug-delivery systems demonstrate a pH-sensitive drug-releasing behavior in the colon. In this study, copolymers of methacrylic acid and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate were prepared using a microemulsion polymerization technique. The purified copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) was entrapped within methacrylic-based copolymers by a solvent evaporation method. The size of the nanogels formed was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. In vitro drug-release studies using phosphate-buffered saline at different pH levels demonstrated the sustained release of 5-FU and its pH dependence. Cell proliferation assay of a human colon tumor colon cancer cell line (HCT-116) was performed and showed that the nanogels containing 5-FU exhibited considerable cytotoxicity in comparison with free 5-FU. Cell uptake of the nanogels was also monitored using confocal microscopy. Western blot analysis and flow cytometry studies confirmed that the nanogels could be successfully used as an efficient vector for pH-sensitive and controlled delivery of drugs specifically targeted to the colon.

Preparation of a polar monolithic stir bar based on methacrylic acid and divinylbenzene for the sorptive extraction of polar pharmaceuticals from complex water samples

A monolithic, hydrophilic stir bar coating based upon a copolymer of methacrylic acid and divinylbenzene [poly(MAA-co-DVB)] was synthesised and evaluated as a new polymeric phase for the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) of polar compounds from complex environmental water samples. The experimental conditions for the extraction and liquid desorption in SBSE were optimised. Liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was used for the determination of a group of polar pharmaceuticals in environmental water matrices. The extraction performance of the poly(MAA-co-DVB) stir bar was compared to the extraction performance of a commercially available polydimethylsiloxane stir bar; it was found that the former gave rise to significantly higher extraction efficiency of polar analytes (% recovery values near to 100% for most of the studied analytes) than the commercial product. The developed method was applied to determine the studied analytes at low ngL−1 in different complex environmental water samples.

Relationship between intermolecular bonding, nanostructure, phase behavior, and macroscopic physical properties of pressure-sensitive adhesives based on polyelectrolyte complexes

Correlations have been established between mechanisms of molecular interaction, the energy of intermolecular bonds, nanoscopic free volume, phase state, and such macroscopic physical properties as linear and large-strain viscoelasticity, relaxation, water-absorbing capacity, and adhesive joint strength of pressure sensitive adhesives based on nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes. The polyelectrolyte complexes are formed by mixing of a polybase, copolymer of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate with methyl methacrylate and butyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA-co-MMA/BMA), with a polyacid, copolymer of methacrylic acid and ethyl acrylate (PMAA-co-EA) in the presence of triethyl citrate (TEC) as a plasticizer. Rubber-like elasticity and pressure sensitive adhesion of the polyelectrolyte complexes on the macroscopic level have been demonstrated to be the result of specific coupling of such generally conflicting properties of polymer materials as sufficiently strong intermolecular cohesion energy with comparatively large free volume (vacant space between neighboring macromolecules) at the nanoscopic scale. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012

Needle trap micro-extraction for VOC analysis: Effects of packing materials and desorption parameters

Combining advantages of SPE and SPME needle trap devices (NTD) represent promising new tools for a robust and reproducible sample preparation. This study was intended to investigate the effect of different packing materials on efficacy and reproducibility of VOC analysis by means of needle trap micro extraction (NTME). NTDs with a side hole design and containing different combinations of PDMS, DVB and Carbopack X and Carboxen 1000 and NTDs containing a single layer organic polymer of methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate were investigated with respect to reproducibility, LODs and LOQs, carry over and storage. NTDs were loaded with VOC standard gas mixtures containing saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, oxygenated and aromatic compounds. Volatile substances were thermally desorbed from the NTDs using fast expansive flow technique and separated, identified and quantified by means of GC-MS. Optimal desorption temperatures between 200 and 290°C could be identified for the different types of NTDs with respect to desorption efficiency and variation. Carry over was below 6% for polymer packed needles and up to 67% in PDMS/Carboxen 1000 NTDs. Intra and inter needle variation was best for polymer NTDs and consistently below 9% for this type of NTD. LODs and LOQs were in the range of some ng/L. Sensitivity of the method could be improved by increasing sample volume. NTDs packed with a copolymer of methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate were universally applicable for sample preparation in VOC analysis. If aromatic compounds were to be determined DVB/Carboxen 1000 and DVB/Carbopack X/Carboxen 1000 devices could be considered as an alternative. PDMS/Carbopack X/Carboxen 1000 NTDs may represent a good alternative for the analysis of hydrocarbons and aldehydes. NTME represents a powerful tool for different application areas, from environmental monitoring to breath analysis.

Selective solid phase extraction of platinum on an ion imprinted polymers for its electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination in environmental samples

An ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) was obtained by copolymerization of methacrylic acid (as a functional monomer) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (as a crosslinking agent) in the presence of various chelators for Pt(II) ion and using 2,2′-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile as the initiator. Specifically, acetaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (AcTSn) and benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (BnTSn) were used as chelators. The IIPs were applied as sorbents for solid-phase extraction of Pt(II) and Pt(IV) ions from aqueous solutions. The effects of acidity and flow rate of the sample, of elution conditions and of potentially interfering ions were investigated. The imprinting effect of analyte is clearly demonstrated by the fact that only the IIP is capable of quantitative retention of Pt(II) and Pt(IV) ions. The method works best in the pH range from 0.5 to 1 and from 3.5 to 9.5. The ions can be recovered with an acidic solution of thiourea. The Pt-AcTSn polymer displays better sorption properties for the separation of analytes. The selectivity coefficients of the Pt-AcTSn and control polymers for Pt(IV) in the presence Pd(II), Rh(III), Ru(III), Al(III) and Cu(II) were calculated, and the sorbent capacity for Pt(IV) was found to be 4.56 μg g -1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Pt(IV) by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry in tap water, tunnel dust and anode slime samples.

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted monolithic fibers for solid-phase microextraction of acetaldehyde from head-space of beverages stored in PET bottles

Molecularly imprinted monolithic fibers were synthesized and evaluated for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of acetaldehyde from head-space of beverages stored in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bottles. The fibers were prepared by co-polymerization of methacrylic acid and ethylene glycole diethacrylate as functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. Acetaldehyde was used as template molecule during polymerization process, in order to leave specific cavities after leaching off from the co-polymer. Narrow bore (i.d. 100μm) glass capillaries as molds were filled with polymerization mixture containing cross linker, functional monomer, template molecule, initiator and porogen solvent. This mixture is then polymerized to form a continuous porous monolith that conforms to the shape of the mold. The resulting monolithic fibers were employed by a micro-syringe to extract acetaldehyde from head-space of sample solutions. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to analyze adsorbed acetaldehyde to the fibers. Parameters influencing adsorption of acetaldehyde from head-space of standard solutions to the fiber and subsequently desorption in the GC chamber were optimized. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.01 and 0.03μgmL−1, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precisions of the peak areas for five replicates were 8 and 15%, respectively.

Reactive Polyanions Based on Poly(4,4-dimethyl-2-vinyl-2-oxazoline-5-one-co-methacrylic acid)

The formation of reactive polyanions by semibatch copolymerization of 4,4-dimethyl-2-vinyl-2-oxazoline-5-one (VDMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) by both free radical and photoinduced radical polymerization is described. The reactivity ratios of these two monomers were determined to be 1.36 and 0.41 for r1(VDMA) and r2(MAA), respectively, using 1H NMR spectroscopy. During the free radical copolymerization of a 50:50 VDMA:MAA copolymer (PMV50) in anhydrous DMSO or THF at 60 °C, up to 40% of the azlactone groups in the copolymer are hydrolyzed by water formed largely by conversion of methacrylic acid diads into cyclic anhydride. Storage in organic solutions leads to further transhydration, while solid PMV50 is stable for at least 6 months at room temperature. Increasing the VDMA comonomer content reduces this transhydration, likely through decreasing the incidence of methacrylic acid diads in the backbone. Alternatively, conducting the copolymerization at 20 °C using photoinitiation is also effective at suppressing this transhydration. The resulting reactive polyanions bind under physiological conditions to poly-l-lysine-coated calcium alginate hydrogel beads and spontaneously cross-link with the polyamine to form covalent networks of interest for long-term therapeutic cell encapsulation. This represents the first such use of a VDMA-containing polyanion in aqueous environments. The copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR, quantitative 13C NMR, 13C DEPT-135 NMR, and FT-IR spectroscopies as well as by elemental analysis.

PH Responsivity and Micelle Formation of Gradient Copolymers of Methacrylic Acid and Methyl Methacrylate in Aqueous Solution

A series of gradient copolymers of methacrylic acid (MAA)/methyl methacrylate (MMA) with four end-to-end composition profiles (uniform, linear gradient, triblock with linear gradient midblock, and diblock) but all having an average chain composition of ̅F(MMA) ≈ 0.5 and an average chain length of 200 were synthesized via model-based, computer-programmed, semibatch atom-transfer radical copolymerization (ATRcoP). These samples allowed us to investigate systematically the effects of the gradient composition profile on the pH responsivity and micelle formation of the copolymers in an aqueous solution. Measurements included light transmittance, TEM, AFM, DLS, (1)H NMR, and pH titration. It was found that linear gradient, triblock, and diblock copolymers formed spherical micelles at high pH. The micelles of the linear gradient copolymer contained MMA units in their hydrophilic shells, and those of the triblock and diblock copolymers had all of their MMA units residing in their cores. The composition profile showed a strong effect on the degree of acid dissociation at a given pH. The conformational transition of the copolymer chains was determined by both the pH value and composition profile. Copolymers having sharper gradients required a lower pH to trigger the conformational transition and a narrower pH range to complete the transition.

Synthesis of P(St-MAA)-Fe3O4/PPy core–shell composite microspheres with conductivity and superparamagnetic behaviors

Styrene (St) and methacrylic acid (MAA) copolymers were synthesized by emulsion polymerization using Fe3O4 particles modified by oleic acid as central components. P(St-MAA)-Fe3O4/PPy (polypyrrole) core–shell composite microspheres with conducting and supermagnetic behaviors were obtained via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization on the surface of the P(St-MAA)-Fe3O4 magnetic composite microspheres. The –COOH groups in the composites acted as co-dopants in the formation of PPy and adsorbed the pyrrole monomers onto the surface of P(St-MAA)-Fe3O4. The P(St-MAA)-Fe3O4/PPy composite microspheres have been extensively characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The Fe3O4 particles were coated within P(St-MAA) polymers when the volume ratio of MAA to St was maintained at 1:5 during the co-polymerization process. The P(St-MAA)-Fe3O4/PPy multi-component composite microspheres show excellent superparamagnetism. The electrical conductivity of the composite microspheres largely depended on the PPy loading amount in the outer layer.

Synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic centipede-like copolymer PS-PS-PMAA

A well-defined amphiphilic centipede-like copolymer of styrene and methacrylic acid (PS-PS-PMAA) was synthesized by the combination of living anionic polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The synthetic approach involves the first coupling reaction of polystyrene (PS) backbone bearing 1,1-diphenylethene (DPE) pendant groups with living polystyryllithium (PSLi), and sequential anionic polymerization of t-butyl methacrylate (tBMA) initiated by resulting 1,1-diphenylmethyl anion, and final hydrolysis of obtained PS-PS-PtBMA. The centipede-like copolymer PS-PS-PMAA was characterized by 1H NMR, IR, GPC, and SLS measurements. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of PS-PS-PMAA in water was determined by fluorescence probe technique. The self-assembly behavior of PS-PS-PMAA in water-THF mixture was observed by TEM. The results showed that the micellar morphology can be varied, such as vesicle, sphere, and agglomerate, depending on the THF content. These phenomena are worthy of further research in polymer physics field.

Phase state of polyelectrolyte complexes based on blends of acrylic copolymers

AbstractThe phase state of polyelectrolyte blends based on acrylic copolymers was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and wedge microinterferometry as a function of the blend composition and ionization of polymer functional groups. A copolymer of N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate with methyl methacrylate and butyl methacrylate was used as a polybase, a copolymer of methacrylic acid and ethyl acrylate was employed as a polyacid, and the optional plasticizer was triethyl citrate. A correlation was established between an earlier described mechanism of molecular interaction and the behavior of the glass‐transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer blends. The Tg values of the polyelectrolyte complexes in the gel phase were always higher than Tg in the sol phase. This fact implies that intermolecular cohesion dominated the free volume in the stoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes formed in the gel phase, whereas nonstoichiometric complexes formed in the sol phase were characterized with the predominant contribution of free volume. TEM and interferograms of polyelectrolyte blends showed the signs of anisotropic ordered supramolecular structure formation. A phase‐state diagram of the polyelectrolyte blends was constructed. The stoichiometric polyelectrolyte complex was immiscible with parent polymers, forming a separate phase that became melted at elevation of temperature because of complex dissociation. Polyelectrolyte miscibility was supposed to result rather from the chemical reaction of the complex formation than from interdiffusion of the polymer components along the gradient of their concentration. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011

Studies on the Solubility of Bonded-Rare Earth Complexes and Fluorescence Properties of their Copolymers

A binary and ternary rare earth complexes were synthesized. The structure and composition of the complexes were characterized by FT-IR and Elemental Analyzer. It is found that the complexes have excellent fluorescence intensity and thermal stability. Photoluminescent measurements show that Phenanthroline (Phen) could efficiently transfer energy to Eu3+ and sensitize the luminescence of Eu3+. The copolymers of complexes, methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methacrylic acid (HMA) emit characteristic fluorescence of Eu3+. The fluorescence intensity enhanced with the complexes content increasing. But the apparent copolymers of Eu(AA)3 have stronger luminous intensity than that of Eu(AA)3Phen under limit solubility because Phen reduces the content of solvable Eu3+ in the mixture of MMA and HMA.

Preparation and Properties of Copolymer of Methacrylic Acid and Acrylamide onto Degraded Chitosan Initiated by HRP/H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>/ACAC

The chitosan was degraded by hydrochloric acid and the effects of concentration of chitosan, amount of hydrochloric acid, reaction temperature and reaction time on the viscosity of chitosan were investigated. The results showed that the degraded chitosan with low viscosity could be prepared when chitosan (wt 6%) was dissolved in acetic acid solution and hydrochloric acid (wt 3%) at 90°C for 6 h to decrease the viscosity from 7.52 mPa·s to 2.48 mPa·s. Then, a graft copolymer was synthesized by copolymerization of degraded chitosan with methacrylic acid (MAA) and acrylamide (AAM) by using horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/H2O2/acetylacetone (ACAC) as initiator. The structures of original chitosan, degraded chitosan and the copolymer were characterized by FTIR. The copolymer was applied to the leather industry as an amphoteric retanning agent. The applied results showed that the retanned leather had the merits of good uniformity fullness softness, strong selecting filling properties, good dyeing ability and antimicrobial activity.

PH-responsive nanoparticles releasing tenofovir intended for the prevention of HIV transmission

This study is designed to test the hypothesis that tenofovir (TNF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) loaded nanoparticles (NPs) prepared with a blend of poly(lactic- co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and methacrylic acid copolymer (Eudragit® S-100, or S-100) are noncytotoxic and exhibit significant pH-responsive release of anti-HIV microbicides in the presence of human semen fluid simulant (SFS). After NPs preparation by emulsification diffusion, their size, encapsulation efficiency (EE%), drug release profile, morphology, and cytotoxicity are characterized by dynamic light scattering, spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and cellular viability assay/transepithelial electrical resistance measurement, respectively. Cellular uptake was elucidated by fluorescence spectroscopy and confocal microscopy. The NPs have an average size of 250 nm, maximal EE% of 16.1% and 37.2% for TNF and TDF, respectively. There is a 4-fold increase in the drug release rate from the 75% S-100 blend in the presence of SFS over 72 h. At a concentration up to 10 mg/ml, the PLGA/S-100 NPs are noncytotoxic for 48 h to vaginal endocervical/epithelial cells and Lactobacillus crispatus. The particle uptake (∼50% in 24 h) by these vaginal cell lines mostly occurred through caveolin-mediated pathway. These data suggest the promise of using PLGA/S-100 NPs as an alternative controlled drug delivery system in intravaginal delivery of an anti-HIV/AIDS microbicide.

Control release of some pesticides from starch/(ethylene glycol‐co‐methacrylic acid) copolymers prepared by γ‐irradiation

AbstractStarch/(Ethylene glycol‐co‐Methacrylic acid) [Starch/(EG‐co‐MAA)] hydrogels were designed for controlled delivery of pesticides, such as Fluometuron (FH); Thiophanate Methyl (TF) and Trifluralin (TI) which are use in the agricultural field. The delivery device was prepared by using γ‐irradiation and was characterized by FTIR, DSC, and SEM. The swelling behavior of hydrogels as a function of copolymer composition and irradiation dose was detected. This article discusses the swelling kinetics of polymer matrix and release dynamics of Trifluralin from hydrogels for the evaluation of the diffusion mechanism and diffusion coefficients. The values of the diffusion exponent ‘n’ for both the swelling of hydrogels and the release of Trifluralin from the hydrogels have been observed between 0.56 and 0.86 when the MAA content in the polymers was varied from 20 to 80 wt %, respectively. It is inferred from the values of the ‘n’ that non‐Fickian diffusion mechanism has occurred for different EG/MAA compositions. The release rate from matrices prepared under different conditions was studied to determine which factors have the most affect and control over the hydrogel matrix release property. The preparation conditions such as EG/MAA hydrogel composition, pesticide concentration, type of pesticide and irradiation dose greatly affect the pesticide release rate, which also influenced by the pH and temperature of the matrix‐surrounding medium. The pesticide release rate decreased as the irradiation dose and pH increased, but it increased as the MAA content, pesticide concentration and temperature increased. The release rate of Trifluralin is the highest one, whereas the Fluometuron is the lowest. The properties of the prepared hydrogels may make them acceptable for practical use as bioactive controlled release matrices. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011

Development of molecularly imprinted co-polymeric devices for controlled delivery of flufenamic acid using supercritical fluid technology

This work reports the development of a novel class of affinity co-polymeric materials using supercritical fluid technology. Polymeric materials with molecular recognition to flufenamic acid, were first synthesized in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2) using the drug as template. Molecularly imprinted co-polymers of methacrylic acid (MAA) or N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm) crosslinked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) were synthesized using different crosslinking degrees and template:monomer ratios, at 65 °C and 21 MPa. High-pressure NMR experiments confirmed that the nature of the interactions between the drug and the functional monomers during the polymerization step are mainly hydrogen bonds. scCO 2-assisted impregnation revealed that the imprinted matrices were able to uptake higher amounts of flufenamic acid. This effect was particularly evidenced in the more crosslinked matrices, with P(MAA–EGDMA) imprinted copolymers binding up to 101.5 mg drug/g polymer against only 50.5 mg/g in the non-imprinted copolymer. In vitro drug delivery experiments showed that imprinted co-polymers release the drug in a more sustained way than the corresponding non-imprinted matrices. Overall it was shown that supercritical fluid technology is a viable approach for the development of self-assembly molecular recognition polymers with potential application in controlled drug delivery systems.

Investigation of Cs(I) adsorption on densely crosslinked poly(sodium methacrylate) from aqueous solutions

In this study, a crosslinked copolymer bearing sodium methacrylate functional groups has been proposed to remove Cs(I) ions from aqueous solutions. For this purpose, the crosslinked copolymer of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) and methacrylic acid (MA) containing 25% MA as weight percentage was synthesized by using benzoyl peroxide (BPO)-N,N-dimethyl aniline initiator system. The available carboxyl groups in copolymer were converted to the groups of sodium methacrylate using 2 N NaOH. The adsorption behavior of cesium ions on the densely crosslinked poly(sodium methacrylate) from aqueous solutions were investigated by the technique of ICP-MS measurements of cesium ions in solutions. Batch adsorption method was used to analyze the Cs(I) adsorption as a function of parameters such as the amount of adsorbent, contact time, pH of solution, initial Cs(I) concentration and temperature. The adsorption data were evaluated by the Freundlich, Langmuir and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) isotherms. The adsorption capacity and free energy change were calculated by using D–R isotherm. The adsorption data obtained from experimental results have been tested by the fractional power, the Elovich, the pseudo-first order and the pseudo-second order kinetic models.

Synthesis and Mass Cytometric Analysis of Lanthanide-Encoded Polyelectrolyte Microgels

This article describes the synthesis and characterization of two series of functional polyelectrolyte copolymer microgels intended for bioassays based upon mass cytometry, a technique that detects metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The microgels were loaded with Eu(III) ions, which were then converted in situ to EuF(3) nanoparticles (NPs). Both types of microgels are based upon copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) and methacrylic acid (MAA), poly(NIPAm/VCL/MAA) (VCL = N-vinylcaprolactam, V series), and poly(NIPAm/MAA/PEGMA) (PEGMA = poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate, PG series). Very specific conditions (full neutralization of the MAA groups) were required to confine the EuF(3) NPs to the core of the microgels. We used mass cytometry to measure the number and the particle-to-particle variation of Eu ions per microgel. By controlling the amount of EuCl(3) added to the neutralized microgels. we could vary the atomic content of individual microgels from ca. 10(6) to 10(7) Eu atoms, either in the form of Eu(3+) ions or EuF(3) NPs. Leaching profiles of Eu ions from the hybrid microgels were measured by traditional ICP-MS.

Studies of ion-imprinted polymers for solid-phase extraction of ruthenium from environmental samples before its determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The examination of the effect of interfering ions on the analytical signal of ruthenium measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry was initially performed in this work. The complexes of ruthenium(III) with thiosemicarbazide (TSd) and acetaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (AcTSn) were prepared and imprinted in polymeric network. The ion-imprinted polymers were synthesized by copolymerization of methacrylic acid, as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, as crosslinking agent in the presence of 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The effects of sample volume, pH, and flow rate on the extraction of analyte were studied in dynamic mode. The optimum pH for quantitative retention of ruthenium on each of the studied sorbents was 7.5 ± 0.5. The elution of analyte was completed with 0.2 mol L −1 thiourea in 0.2 mol L −1 HCl. The effect of matrix ions on ruthenium(III) separation process was studied. The analytical performance of the Ru–TSd polymer in the presence of competing ions was better than Ru–AcTSn polymer, considering recovery of analyte, reproducibility of results, selectivity coefficients, and sorbent capacity. The detection limit of the proposed method (0.16 ng mL −1 on Ru–TSd and 0.25 ng mL −1 on Ru–AcTSn) is lower in comparison with the previously published methods. The developed separation method was successfully applied to the determination of trace amounts of ruthenium in spiked water samples, sludge, grass, and human hair.