Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Preparation and Adsorption of Phenylalanine

Molecular imprinting technology was employed to produce one kind of Phenylalanine (Phe) molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP)by precipitation polymerization using Phe, anhydrous alcohol, acrylamide, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and azobisisobutyronitrile as template, porogen, functional monomer, cross-linker and initiator respectively. In this study, the polymerization conditions were optimized. The template on particle size and morphology of polymers were investigated in detail by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and adsorption isotherm determination. The binding properties of Phe on imprinted polymers were evaluated in water by equilibrium rebinding experiments, and the maximum number of adsorption was 0.60 mmol/g. It is indicated that the existence of binding sites in imprinted polymers was proved and the binding sites showed good specific and selective capability to the template molecule Phe. So the polymers would be used to separate Phe from medicine and food.