Metal ions, molecular imprinting

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can be prepared according to a number of approaches that are different in the way the template is linked to the functional monomer and subsequently to the polymeric binding sites (Fig. 6-1). Thus, the template can be linked and subsequently recognized by virtually any combination of cleavable covalent bonds, metal ion co-ordination or noncovalent bonds. The first example of molecular imprinting of organic network polymers introduced by Wulff was based on a covalent attachment strategy i.e. covalent monomer-template, covalent polymer-template [12]. 

Capture array involves the immobilization of non-protein molecules onto the surface which can interact with proteins in the solute phase. Generally, capture molecules may be broad capture agents based on chromatography type surface chemistries such as ion exchange, hydrophobic and metal affinity functionality, or they may be highly specific such as molecular imprinted polymers or oligonucleotide aptamers. 

In contrast to these approaches based on nonspecific interactions, Zhang and coworkers described a molecularly imprinted hydrogel based on the ther-moresponsive PNIPAM [184], This hydrogel was prepared by copolymerization of a metal chelate monomer iV-(4-vinyl)-benzyl iminodiacetic acid, which formed a coordination complex with the template protein in the presence of Cu ions, A-isopropylacrylamide, acrylamide, and IV.lV-methylenebisacrylamide as crosslinker. The interaction of the imprinted thermoresponsive hydrogel with the protein could be switched between coordination effects and electrostatic attraction by addition or omission of Cu ions. Furthermore, this imprinted hydrogel allowed switching of lysozyme adsorption by changing the temperature. 

Metal-ion coordination in designing molecularly imprinted polymeric receptors... 

Molecular imprinting polymerisation of Cu -IDA monomer (4)- )w-imidazole template assemblies on this reactive polymer surface enabled the creation of surface confined metal-complexing polymeric receptors. Faster kinetics for substrate and metal ion removal and reloading were observed with these imprinted polymers when compared to their bulk polymerised counterparts. The substrate recognition capabilities of both kinds of polymers were found to be comparable. This surface imprinting procedure is illustrated in Fig. 6.2. 

---