Towards the use of molecularly imprinted polymers containing imidazoles and bivalent metal complexes for the detection and degradation of organophosphotriester pesticides

For the preparation of an enzyme mimic for phosphotriester hydrolysis, we h ave introduced catalytic groups in a polymer, mimicking the structure of th e catalytic center of the enzyme phosphotriesterase. The polymers containin g Co2+-imidazole complexes show a hydrolyric activity which was 20 times hi gher than polymers containing only imidazole or a solution containing only cobalt ions. Additionally, a molecularly imprinted polymer that was synthes ized using a paraoxon analogue as template showed higher paraoxon hydrolysi s activity than a control polymer prepared in the same way but without the template molecule. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.