Polymers imprinted with clenbuterol were used to study the influence of various post-polymerization treatments [e.g., thermal annealing, microwave assisted extraction (MAE), Soxhlet extraction and supercritical fluid template desorption] on the bleeding of residual template. The aim of the study was to reduce the bleeding to levels that would allow the use of the materials as affinity phases for extraction of clenbuterol from bovine urine at concentrations below 1 ng ml-1. After treatment, the clenbuterol imprinted polymers were packed into solid-phase extraction columns and the bleeding was estimated by quantifying the amount of template released in 10 ml of methanol-acetic acid (9 + 1 v/v). This was followed by an assessment of selectivity and recovery in comparison with non-treated material. The lowest bleeding level was found after MAE using 100% trifluoroacetic acid for 3 x 20 min at 100 degrees C. The collected eluate contained in this case 3 ng ml-1 of clenbuterol. The same material was subsequently used for the extraction of clenbuterol from spiked bovine urine. The resulting selectivity and recovery were lower compared with those obtained using the untreated material. A milder but still efficient method to reduce the bleeding level was found to be MAE with formic acid. In this case a bleeding level of 14 ng ml-1 was found after only a 1 h extraction time. In a second model system, using a polymer imprinted with L-phenylalanine anilide, the bleeding was reduced to a similar level by extensive on-line washing in good swelling solvents containing acid or base additives and after thermal annealing of the polymers in the dry state.

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SummaryThe structure of a C18 phase based on titania (C18-A), synthesized by the method of solution polymerization, is investigated by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The findings are compared with the results of a second C18 phase based on titania (C18-B) which was synthesized by the method of surface hydrosilation. The dynamic behavior of both phases is examined by 1H MAS NMR detection of spinlattice relaxation times in the rotating frame (TlpH) and conventional spin-lattice relaxation times (T1). Due to a smaller ligand density, phase C18-A appears to be a somewhat more mobile than phase C18-B. The chromatographic capability of the phase C18-A is demonstrated by the separation of samples containing benzene derivates or anilines. The elution order is analogous to the phase C18-B, but for both test mixtures the polarity of the mobile phase has to be increased. Phase C18-A is classified as being polymeric by the Sander and Wise test, whereas phase C18-B shows intermediate retention behavior.

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