Combined hydrophobic and electrostatic interaction-based recognition in molecularly imprinted polymers

Molecularly imprinted polymers selective for D- and L-phenylalanine have be en prepared in water solution using 2-acryloylamido-2,2'-dimethylpropane su lfonic acid and bisacryloyl beta-cyclodextrin as functional monomers, and N ,N'-diacryloylpiperazine as cross-linker. Polymer-ligand recognition was ev aluated using a combination of HPLC, displacement chromatography and fluore scence spectroscopic studies. HPLC studies revealed that the imprinted poly mers possess optimal ligand selectivity in 30% water solution in acetonitri le. The results demonstrate that a balance of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions is required for ligand recognition by these polymers. The imp rinting effect is sufficiently strong to reverse the inherent chiral select ivity of the cyclodextrin molecule.