Syntheses of molecularly imprinted polymers: Molecular recognition of cyproheptadine using original print molecules and azatadine as dummy templates

The use of custom-made polymeric materials with high selectivities as target molecules in solid-phase extraction (SPE), known as molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE), is becoming an increasingly important sample preparation technique. However, the potential risk of leakage of the imprinting molecules during the desorption phase has limited application. The use of a mimicking template, called a dummy molecular imprinting polymer (DMIP), that bears the structure of a related molecule and acts as a putative imprinting molecule may provide a useful solution to this problem.In the current study, cyproheptadine (CPH) and azatadine (AZA) were used as templates in the development of an MIP and DMIP for acrylic acid and methacrylic acid monomers. Our results indicate that DMIPs have equal recognition of CPH, avoiding the problem of leakage of original template during the desorption phase relative to MIPs synthesized in presence of the print molecule CPH. Examination of the surface structure of the two polymer products by SEM shows appreciable differences in structural morphology and function of the monomers employed. These results are well supplemented by data obtained for swelling ratios and solvent uptake. Molecular modelling of CPH and AZA suggests that both substrates are similar in shape and volume.