Method for synthesis and screening of large groups of molecularly imprinted polymers

A technique for the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in s mall scale (similar to 55 mg) coupled with direct in situ processing and ba tch rebinding evaluation is reported. The primary assessment is based on qu antification bq HPLC or UV absorbance measurement of the amount of template released from the polymer in a given solvent. This method allows a rapid s creening of the parameters of importance to reach a desired level of bindin g affinity capacity and selectivity for a given target molecule. This was d emonstrated for the triazine herbicide terbutylazine, where an initial scre ening was performed for the type of functional monomer used in the MIP prep aration. Thus among the six functional monomers tested, methyl methacrylate , 4-vinylpyridine, and N-vinyl-alpha-pyrrolidone led to rapid and quantitat ive extraction whereas methacrylic acid and (trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid l ed to polymers that retained the template the most. After having establishe d useful functional monomers, a secondary screening for selectivity was per formed. In this, nonimprinted blank polymers were prepared and a normal bat ch rebinding evaluation was performed, The polymer showing the highest sele ctivity nas the one prepared using methacrylic acid as functional monomer. This polymer was shown to strongly retain chlorotriazines including atrazin e when a normal-scale batch of the polymer was evaluated in chromatography.