Enantiomeric separation of α-amino acids by imprinted terpolymer membrane

In this work, molecularly imprinted polymer membrane (d-arginine (Arg) imprinted terpolymer P(AN-co-AA-co-AAm) membrane) was prepared by the wet phase inversion method. Acrylamide (AAm) and acrylic acid (AA) were used as the functional monomers and acrylonitrile (AN) was used as a cross linker. The removal of template molecules from the membrane matrix increased the number of free -COOH groups and reduced dimerized -COOH groups, which is an indirect evidence of the formation of recognition sites. Optical resolution was performed in ultrafiltration cell using aqueous solutions of racemic mixtures of α-amino acids (arginine and asparagine). The imprinted membrane permeated d-enantiomers preferentially achieving 93% and 72% enantiomeric excess for d-arginine and d-asparagine, respectively.