Study of the nature of recognition in molecularly imprinted polymers, II [1] - Influence of monomer-template ratio and sample load on retention and selectivity

To investigate the extent and nature of the monomer-template association of molecularly imprinted polymer prepolymerisation mixtures, a series of (-)- nicotine molecularly imprinted acrylic polymers was prepared using a range of monomer-template molar ratios. Load capacity studies performed in the ch romatographic mode showed an unexpected increase in retention at higher nic otine sample loads. Further analyses of this effect indicate that solvation effects, and potentially the presence of higher order template complexes, may explain this behaviour. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the current model for molecular imprinting, and it is suggeste d that the possibility of template self-association should be included in t his model. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.