Selectivity Enhancement in Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Binding of Bisphenol A

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen-mimicking chemical that can be selectively detected in water using a chemical sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). However, the utility of BPA-MIPs in sensor applications is limited by the presence of non-specific binding sites. This study explored a dual approach to eliminating these sites: optimizing the molar ratio of the template (bisphenol A) to functional monomer (methacrylic acid) to cross-linker (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate), and esterifying the carboxylic acid residues outside of specific binding sites by treatment with diazomethane. The binding selectivity of treated MIPs and non-treated MIPs for BPA and several potential interferents was compared by capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection. Baclofen, diclofenac and metformin were demonstrated to be good model interferents to test all MIPs for selective binding of BPA. Treated MIPs demonstrated a significant decrease in binding of the interferents while offering high selectivity toward BPA. These results demonstrate that conventional optimization of the molar ratio, together with advanced esterification of non-specific binding sites, effectively minimizes the residual binding of interferents with MIPs to facilitate BPA sensing.

Recognition of human hemoglobin with macromolecularly imprinted polymeric nanoparticles using non‐covalent interactions

“…A solely comparison of the binding capacity can be misleading. The interest of the imprinted cavities in the target molecule is a much more important factor for adsorption amount 48 . The selectivity value indicates the interest of the MIPNs to the target molecule against other compounds in the matrix.…”

Molecular Imprinting and Functional Polymers for All Transducers and Applications

“…Thus, it is a large threat for waste water, which can lead to a disturbance of the hormonal balance. Molecular imprinting was used again to create selective binding sites [ 6 ]. Furthermore, a diazomethane treatment was performed to improve selectivity.…”

Identifying Potential Machine Learning Algorithms for the Simulation of Binding Affinities to Molecularly Imprinted Polymers

“…Traditionally, MIPs have been developed through a time-consuming trial-and-error methodology consisting of altering the chemical compositions and ratios of the monomer and crosslinker species to achieve desired results [7,8]. The same tedium exists for determining the performance of a MIP, having to expose it to countless molecular moieties to truly determine the selective capabilities of the polymer [9,10]. Due to the nature of PoC analysis, this testing process is vital, though traditional approaches have proven costly and protracted.…”