MOLECULARLY IMPRINTED ANISOTROPIC POLYMER MONOLITHS

Anisotropic materials with selective binding properties may have poten tial as active components in optical sensors. A novel route for the sy nthesis of such materials is described and the validity of the concept has been demonstrated. To this end free radical polymerization of 2-e thyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol trimethacrylate (TRIM) in the p resence of a template molecule [4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)benzophenone (M ichler's ketone)] and binding sites [2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesul fonic acid (AMPSA) or methacrylic acid (MAA)] led to molecularly impri nted polymer monoliths. Upon irradiation using linearly polarized ligh t, the template molecules reacted with the polymer networks to form tr ansparent and anisotropic polymer monoliths. The origin of the dichroi sm is discussed and is believed to result from the incorporation of re active template molecular species (radicals) into the polymer network. That the polymers are indeed imprinted was confirmed using competitiv e binding studies. The polymers are size and shape selective but not a lways in favor of the template molecule.