Molecularly imprinted polymer for chlorogenic acid by modified precipitation polymerization and its application to extraction of chlorogenic acid from Eucommia ulmodies leaves

• A monodisperse MIP for chlorogenic acid by modified precipitation polymerization.
• Selective recognition of CGA among its related compounds.
• Molecular-recognition of chlorogenic acid by hydrophilic interactions on the MIP.
• Extraction of chlorogenic acid in the leaves of Eucommia ulmodies using the MIP.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for chlorogenic acid (CGA) were prepared by modified precipitation polymerization using methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, divinylbenzene as a crosslinker and methanol or dimethylsulfoxide as a co-solvent. The prepared MIPs were microspheres with a narrow particle size distribution. Binding experiments and Scatchard analyses revealed that two classes of binding sites, high and low affinity sites, were formed on the MIP. The retention and molecular-recognition properties of the prepared MIP were evaluated using a mixture of water and acetonitrile as a mobile phase in hydrophilic interaction chromatography. With an increase of acetonitrile content, the retention factor of CGA was increased on the MIP. In addition to shape recognition, hydrophilic interactions seem to work for the recognition of CGA on the MIP. The MIP had a specific molecular-recognition ability for CGA, while other related compounds, such as caffeic acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and vanillic acid, could not be recognized by the MIP. Furthermore, the MIP for CGA was successfully applied for extraction of CGA in the leaves of Eucommia ulmodies.

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