Enantiomeric resolution of dansyl amino acids by capillary electrochromatography based on molecular imprinting method

Recognition sites incorporating both pyridinyl and carboxy functionalities prepared by molecular imprinting were used for the enantioseparation of dan sylated amino acids by capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Simultaneous non-covalent molecular imprinting of two chemically distinct functional mon omers, vinylpyridine and methacrylic acid, was demonstrated in ethylene gly col dimethacrylate-based copolymers. Polymers obtained were ground and siev ed to particles < 10 mu m for filling into capillaries for CEC. Such imprin ted polymers demonstrated improved recognition capabilities compared to pol ymers incorporating only one of the functional monomers. Several aspects of polymer preparation were investigated including the polymerization tempera ture, effect of solvent, composition of polymer together with the running c onditions of the CEC. Separation was highly-specific and depended on the pr esence of both print molecule and functional monomers in the polymerization mixture.