Molecular imprinted polymer

A molecular imprinted polymer (MIP), or plastic antibody is a polymer that was formed in the presence of a molecule that is extracted afterwards, thus leaving complementary cavities behind. These polymers show a certain chemical affinity for the original molecule and can be used to fabricate sensors, catalysis or for separation methods. The functional mechanism is similar to antibodies or enzymes.

Properties

The target molecule should have one or more functional groups and should not be polymerisable or retard the polymerisation process.

History

The first imprinted materials were sodium silicate-based and the first experimental use of these materials for separation of dyes was in 1949. However, the first protein imprinted polymer has been reported by Mosbach and his coworker Sellergren in 1985 by use of silane monomers for molecular imprinting and enzyme entrapment in polysiloxane-coated porous silica.

Imprinting process

• Mixing of
  • Target molecule
  • Polymerization solution
• Formation of prepolymerisation complex: (non-)covalent bonds: Hydrogen bonds, Van der Waals bonds, ionic bonds, hydrophobic interactions, pi-pi interactions
• Polymerisation
  • Crosslinker (e.g. EGDM, p-divinylbenzene)
  • Initiator (e.g. AIBN)
  • Porogen (apolar, non-protogenic solvent)
• Chemical extraction of target molecule and hydrolysis of covalent bonds

See also

• molecular recognition
• molecular imprinting

References

• M. Glad, O. Norrloew, B. sellergren, K. Mosbach (1985). "Use of silane monomers for molecular imprinting and enzyme entrapment in polysiloxane-coated porous silica". Journal of Chromatography. 347: 11–23. doi:10.1016/S0021-9673(01)95465-2. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
• G. Vlatakis, L. I. Andersson, R. Müller, K. Mosbach (1993). "Drug assay using antibody mimics made by molecular imprinting". Nature. 361 (6413): 645–647. doi:10.1038/361645a0. PMID 8437624. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
• Frank H. Dickey (1949). "The Preparation of Specific Adsorbents". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 35: 227–229. doi:10.1073/pnas.35.5.227. 
• Simon, Ryan; Collins, Melissa E.; Spivak, David A. (2007). "Shape selectivity versus functional group pre-organization in molecularly imprinted polymers". Analytica Chimica Acta. 591(1) (1): 7–16. doi:10.1016/j.aca.2006.12.045. PMID 17456418. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
• C. Alexander , H. S. Andersson, L. I. Andersson, R. J. Ansell, N. Kirsch, I. A. Nicholls, J. O’Mahony, M. J. Whitcombe (2006). "Molecular imprinting science and technology: a survey of the literature for the years up to and including 2003". Journal Molecular Recognition. 19 (2): 106–180. doi:10.1002/jmr.760. PMID 16395662. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) nl:molecular imprinted polymer