Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on molecularly imprinted polymers in water

Molecularly imprinted polymer layers were prepared on SERS-active surfaces in order to directly monitor the uptake and release of certain substances to this polymer layer by surface enhanced. Raman-scattering (SERS). The imprinting system consisted of either (2S,3S)-(+)-di-O-benzoyl-tartaric acid (1) or N-benzyloxycarbonyl-(L)-apartic acid (2) as templates. As binding site N,N'-diethyl-4-vinylbenzamidine (3) was used which binds in a 2:1 complex to the templates. The release and uptake of the templates to the imprinted polymer could be followed in aqueous solution under physiological conditions (aqueous buffer, ambient temperature). The recorded SERS bands can be unequivocally assigned to the substances taken up, and it is therefore possible to directly detect a certain substance in the imprinted layer. Release and uptake are quick processes occurring within minutes. This method also offers the opportunity to use these layers in chemosensors in which case the stability has to be further increased.