One-pot preparation of silica-supported hybrid immobilized metal affinity adsorbent with macroporous surface based on surface imprinting coating technique combined with polysaccharide incorporated sol–gel process

A simple and reliable one-pot approach using surface imprinting coating technique combined with polysaccharide incorporated sol–gel process was established to synthesize a new organic–inorganic hybrid matrix possessing macroporous surface and functional ligand. Using mesoporous silica gel being a support, immobilized metal affinity adsorbent with a macroporous shell/mesoporous core structure was obtained after metal ion loading. In the prepared matrix, covalently bonded coating and morphology manipulation on silica gel was achieved by using one-pot sol–gel process starting from an inorganic precursor, -glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysiloxane (GPTMS), and a functional biopolymer, chitosan (CS) at the atmosphere of imprinting polyethylene glycol (PEG). Self-hydrolysis of GPTMS, self-condensation, and co-condensation of silanol groups (Si-OH) from siloxane and silica gel surface, and in situ covalent cross-linking of CS created an orderly coating on silica gel surface. PEG extraction using hot ammonium hydroxide solution gave a chemically and mechanically stabilized pore structure and deactivated residual epoxy groups. The prepared matrix was characterized by using X-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The matrix possessed a high capacity for copper ion loading. Protein adsorption performance of the new immobilized metal affinity adsorbent was evaluated by batch adsorption and column chromatographic experiment using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a simple model protein. Under the optimized coating conditions, the obtained macroporous surface resulted in a fast kinetics and high capability for protein adsorption, while the matrix non-charged with metal ions offered a low non-specific adsorption.