Synthesis and computational investigation of molecularly imprinted nanospheres for selective recognition of alpha-tocopherol succinate
Keywords:
molecular imprinting, molecularly imprinted polymer, anti-cancer, tocopherol succinate, computational chemistryAbstract
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are macromolecular matrices that can mimic the functional properties of antibodies, receptors and enzymes while possessing higher durability. As such, these polymers are interesting materials for applications in biomimetic sensor, drug synthesis, drug delivery and separation. In this study, we prepared MIPs and molecularly imprinted nanospheres (MINs) as receptors with specific recognition properties toward tocopherol succinate (TPS) in comparison to tocopherol (TP) and tocopherol nicotinate (TPN). MIPs were synthesized using methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinking agent and dichloromethane or acetronitrile as porogenic solvent under thermal-induced polymerization condition. Results indicated that imprinted polymers of TPS-MIP, TP-MIP and TPN-MIP all bound specifically to their template molecules at 2 folds greater than the non-imprinted polymers. The calculated binding capacity of all MIP was approximately 2 mg per gram of polymer when using the optimal rebinding solvent EtOH:H2O (3:2, v/v). Furthermore, the MINs toward TPS and TP were prepared by precipitation polymerization that yielded particles that are 200-400 nm in size. The binding capacities of MINs to their templates were greater than that of the non-imprinted nanospheres when using the optimal rebinding solvent EtOH:H2O (4:1, v/v). Computer simulation was performed to provide mechanistic insights on the binding modalities of template-monomer complexes. In conclusion, we had successful prepared MIPs and MINs for binding specifically to TP and TPS. Such MIPs and MINs have great potential for industrial and medical applications, particularly for the selective separation of TP and TPS.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- The authors keep the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC BY 4.0. This licencse permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
- The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.
- Because the advice and information in this journal are believed to be true and accurate at the time of publication, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions presented in the publication. The publisher makes no guarantee, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.
- The authors can enter into additional contracts for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version by citing the initial publication in this journal (e.g. publishing in an institutional repository or in a book).