Synthesis and optimization of molecularly imprinted polymers for quercetin

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized through solution polymerization using quercetin as the template molecule, N-vinylpyrrolidone and acrylic acid as functional monomers, N,N'-methylenebiacrylamide as crosslinker and the redox system L-ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide as initiator in the porogen of ethanol and water. During the optimization process an interference compound, genistein (5,7,4'-trihydroxy isoflavone), which possesses the same skeleton and functional groups as quercetin, was adopted to optimize the preparation conditions, and the separation degree of the MIP to quercetin and genistein was chosen to optimize each factor. The synthesized MIP under optimal conditions showed a specific recognition of quercetin from a mixture of quercetin and genistein. Thereafter, the structure of the MIP was comparatively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and BrunauerEmmettTeller analysis using non-imprinted molecular polymers as control. In addition, the kinetics of the adsorption process were also studied, and Scatchard analysis revealed that heterogeneous binding sites were formed in the polymers. Copyright (C) 2012 Society of Chemical Industry