Synthesis and application of a molecularly imprinted polymer as a filter to reduce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in mainstream cigarette smoke

The design and fabrication of novel filter is a promising approach to realize the reduction of harmful substance in mainstream cigarette smoke. In our work, a kind of pyrene (PYR) imprinted polymer as a part of improved filter has been successfully synthesized for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in mainstream cigarette smoke. The molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) showed an good affinity towards PYR with binding capacity (Qmax) of 18.33 mg/g. Accordingly, the MIPs were used as a solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbent for the extraction and enrichment of PAHs in mixed samples to evaluate the selectivity about the MIPs. When the cellulose acetate (CA)-filter was replaced by a MIPs-filter, the amount of PAHs in the mainstream smoke was reduced by 63.6%. The application will provide technical support for the design of functional filters to reduce the harms brought by cigarette suction.