Synthetic cinchonidine receptors obtained by cross-linking linear poly(methacrylic acid) derivatives as an alternative molecular imprinting technique

A molecular imprinting approach to construct synthetic receptors was examined, wherein a linear pre-polymer bearing functional groups for intermolecular interaction with a given molecule is cross-linked in the presence of the molecule as a template, and subsequent removal of the template from the resultant network-polymer is expected to leave a complementary binding site. Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) derivatized with a vinylbenzyl group as a cross-linkable side chain was utilized as the pre-polymer for the molecular imprinting of a model template, (-)-cinchonidine. Selectivity of the imprinted polymer was evaluated by comparing the retentions of the original template, (-)-cinchonidine and its antipode (+)-cinchonine in chromatographic tests, exhibiting a selectivity factor up to 2.4. By assessment of the imprinted polymers in a batch mode, a dissociation constant at 20 degrees C for (-)-cinchonidine was estimated to be K (d) = 2.35 x 10(-6) M (the number of binding sites: 4.54 x 10(-6) mol/g-dry polymer). The displayed affinity and selectivity appeared comparable to those of an imprinted polymer prepared by a conventional monomer-based protocol, thus showing that the pre-polymer, which can be densely cross-linked, is an alternative imprinter for developing template-selective materials. (-)-Cinchonidine-imprinted polymers were prepared and assessed using the pre-polymers bearing different densities of the vinylbenzyl group and different amounts of the cross-linking agent to examine the appropriate density of the cross-linking side chain that was crucial for developing the high affinity and selectivity of the imprinted polymers.     

Construction of a molecular imprinting catalyst using target analogue template and its application for an amperometric fructosylamine sensor

Molecular imprinting technology is becoming a versatile tool for preparing tailor-made molecular recognition elements. However, inherent problems of the molecular imprinting technology include the availability and preparation of template molecules. We recently reported artificial enzyme sensors for fructosylamines constructed by imprinting with fructosyl valine (Fru-val), a model compound for HbA1c (Anal. Lett., 2003). However, because the availability of Fru-val is limited, we attempted to construct a Fru-val-oxidizing molecularly imprinted catalyst (MIC) utilizing the analogue molecule methyl valine (m-val) as template molecule. An electrode employing the m-val-imprinted polymer showed 1.2-fold higher sensitivity toward Fru-val compared with the control polymer-employing electrode. We also used the positively charged functional monomer allylamine as functional monomer in order to increase the selectivity of the MIC toward Fru-val. The selectivity of the electrode immobilizing the allylamine-containing polymer showed 1.7-fold higher response toward Fru-val than toward Fru--lys. By combining the use of both allylamine as the functional monomer and m-val as the template molecule, an even better MIC-immobilized electrode was produced with a Fru-val selectivity comparable to that constructed by imprinting with Fru-val.     

The rational use of hydrophobic effect-based recognition in molecularly imprinted polymers

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) system selective for D-phenylalanine is described where polymerization is performed in aqueous solution. The unique polymer system comprises a hydrophobic moiety-selective functional monomer, polymerizable beta-cyclodextrin, an electrostatic interacting functional monomer, 2-acryloylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPSA), and the crosslinking agent N,N'-diacryloylpiperazine. Chromatographic evaluation of polymer-ligand recognition characteristics demonstrated ligand selectivity by the MIP and that optimal recognition was achieved through a balance of hydrophobic and electrostatic ligand-polymer interactions, indicating that recognition in these systems is regulated by enthalpy-entropy compensation. The imprinting effect was shown to be sufficient to reverse the inherent selectivity of cyclodextrin for L-phenylalanine.     

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers using a functionalized initiator for chiral-selective recognition of propranolol

We present a new concept of synthesis for preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers using a functionalized initiator to replace the traditional functional monomer. Using propranolol as a model template, a carboxyl-functionalized radical initiator was demonstrated to lead to high-selectivity polymer particles prepared in a standard precipitation polymerization system. When a single enantiomer of propranolol was used as template, the imprinted polymer particles exhibited clear chiral selectivity in an equilibrium binding experiment. Unlike the previous molecular imprinting systems where the active free radicals can be distant from the template-functional monomer complex, the method reported in this work makes sure that the actual radical polymerization takes place in the vicinity of the template-associated functional groups. The success of using functional initiator to synthesize molecularly imprinted polymers brings in new possibilities to improve the functional performance of molecularly imprinted synthetic receptors.     

Molecular imprinting of nitrophenol and hydroxybenzoic acid isomers: effect of molecular structure and acidity on imprinting

Three nitrophenol isomer-imprinted polymers were prepared under the same conditions using 4-vinylpyridine as a functional monomer. Different recognition capacities for template molecules were observed for the three polymers. Another imprinting system with stronger acidity than nitrophenol isomers, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (salicylic acid) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, was imprinted using 4-vinylpyridine or acrylamide as functional monomer respectively. Both 4-hydroxybenzoic acid-imprinted polymers using the two monomers showed recognition ability for the template molecule. However, when acrylamide was chosen as functional monomer, the salicylic acid-imprinted polymer showed very weak recognition for the template molecule, whereas strong recognition ability of the resultant polymer for salicylic acid was observed with 4-vinylpyridine as functional monomer. It seems that the structure and acidity of template molecules is responsible for the difference in recognition, by influencing the formation and strength of interaction between template molecule and functional monomer during the imprinting process. An understanding of the mechanism of molecular imprinting and molecular recognition of MIPs will help to predict the selectivity of MIPs on the basis of template molecule properties.     

Fabrication of molecularly imprinted polymer microarray on a chip by mid-infrared laser pulse initiated polymerisation

The possibility to assess several functional polymeric materials in parallel in a microchip format could find a wide range of applications in sensing, combinatorial and high-throughput screening. However several factors, inherent to the nature of material polymerisation have limited such development. We here report an innovative fabrication approach for the elaboration of polymer microarrays bearing polymer dots typically 300 microm in diameter fabricated in situ on a glass cover slip via CO(2) laser pulse initiated polymerisation, as well as initial results on the identification of a suitable monomer composition for the molecular imprinting of dansyl-L-phenylalanine as a proof-of-concept example. A combination of methacrylic acid and 2-vinylpyridine showed the largest affinity to dansyl-L-phenylalanine which agreed with the existing literature and the results were further confirmed by HPLC. Finally, a sensor chip bearing both non-imprinted as well as imprinted polymers was also prepared in order to prove the suitability of this fabrication approach for the elaboration of MIP based sensors. The assay consisted in a simple dip-and-read step and the sensing system was able to discriminate between the l and d enantiomers of dansylphenylalanine with an imprinting factor of 1.6.     

Molecular modeling of chiral-modified zeolite HY employed in enantioselective separation

Insight into enantioselective separation utilizing chiral-modified zeolite HY could be useful in designing a chiral stationary phase for resolving pharmaceutical compounds. A model was employed to better understand the enantioseparation of valinol in zeolite HY that contains (+)-(1R;2R)-hydrobenzoin as a chiral modifier. This model incorporates the zeolite support and accounts for the flexible change. Results from grand canonical Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the associated diastereomeric complex consists of a single (+)-(1R;2R)-hydrobenzoin and a single valinol molecules located in the zeolite HY supercage. Supercage-based docking simulation predicted an enantioselectivity of 2.6 compared with that of 1.4 measured experimentally. Also, the supercage-based docking simulation demonstrated a single binding motif in the S complex, and two binding motifs in the R complex. The multiple binding modes in the R complex resulted in its lower stability. This is hypothesized to be the origin of the weaker binding between (-)-(R)-valinol and the chiral modifier, and explains why (+)-(R)-valinol is retained more in the chiral-modified zeolite system studied.     

Synthesis of a Fluorine‐Containing Cis‐Cisoidal One‐Handed Helical Polyphenylacetylene and Application of Highly Selective Photocyclic Aromatization Product on Oxygen Permselective Membrane

A novel phenylacetylene monomer having a perfluorinated alkyl group ( M-F ) was synthesized and polymerized in a chiral catalytic system to yield a one‐handed helical polymer. The ability and efficiency of the chiral induction of the fluorine‐containing monomer in the helix‐sense‐selective polymerization (HSSP) was much higher than those of a monomer having the corresponding alkyl group ( M-H ) we reported before. The resulting polymer P-F showed cis‐cisoidal one‐handed helical conformation, and was suitable for highly selective photocyclic aromatization (SCAT) to give a 2D surface modifier ( T-F ). Oxygen permselectivity through a base polymer membrane was highly enhanced from 1.83 to 2.36 by adding a small amount (1–5 wt%) of the 2D surface modifier T-F . The improvement was thought to be caused by improvement of solution selectivity on the membrane surface which the 2D surface modifier effectively covered. Chirality 27:459–463, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Computer-simulation-based selection of optimal monomer for imprinting of tri-O-acetyl adenosine in a polymer matrix: calculations for benzene solution

Molecular imprinting is a promising way to create polymer materials that can be used as artificial receptors, and have anticipated use in synthetic imitation of natural antibodies. In case of successful imprinting, the selectivity and affinity of the imprint for the substrate molecules are comparable with those of natural counterparts. Various calculation methods can be used to estimate the effects of a large range of imprinting parameters under different conditions, and to find better ways to improve polymer characteristics. However, one difficulty is that properties such as hydrogen bonding can be modeled only by quantum methods that demand a lot of computational resources. Combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods allow the use of MM and QM for different parts of the modeled system. In present study this method was realized in the NWChem package to compare estimations of the stability of tri-O-acetyl adenosine–monomer pre-polymerization complexes in benzene solution with previous results under vacuum.     

Building fluorescent sensors for carbohydrates using template-directed polymerizations

The ability to custom-make fluorescent sensors for different analytes could have a tremendous impact in a variety of areas. Template-directed polymerization or molecular imprinting seems to be a promising approach for the preparation of high-affinity and specific binding sites for different template molecules. However, the application of molecular imprinting in the preparation of fluorescent sensors has been hampered by the lack of suitable fluorescent tags, which would respond to the binding event with significant fluorescence intensity changes. We have designed and synthesized a fluorescent monomer (1) that allows for the preparation of fluorescent sensors of cis diols using molecular imprinting methods. This monomer has been used for the preparation of imprinted polymers as sensitive fluorescent sensors for D-fructose. The imprinted polymers prepared showed significant fluorescence intensity enhancement upon binding with the template carbohydrate.     

Combinatorial screening of polymer precursors for preparation of benzo[α] pyrene imprinted polymer: an ab initio computational approach

A combinatorial screening procedure was used for the selection of polymer precursors in the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), which is useful in the detection of the air pollution marker molecule benzo[a]pyrene (BAP). Molecular imprinting is a technique for the preparation of polymer materials with specific molecular recognition receptors. The preparation of imprinted polymers requires polymer precursors such as functional monomer, cross-linking monomer, solvent, an initiator of polymerization and thermal or UV radiation. A virtual library of functional monomers was prepared based on interaction binding scores computed using HyperChem Release 8.0 software. Initially, the possible minimum energy conformation of the monomers and BAP were optimized using the semi-empirical (PM3) quantum method. The binding energy between the functional monomer and the template (BAP) was computed using the Hartree-Fock (HF) method with 6-31 G basis set, which is an ab initio approach based on Moller-Plesset second order perturbation theory (MP2). From the computations, methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) were selected for preparation of BAP imprinted polymer. The larger interaction energy (ΔE) represents possibility of more affinity binding sites formation in the polymer, which provides high binding capacity. The theoretical predictions were complimented through adsorption experiments. There is a good agreement between experimental binding results and theoretical computations, which provides further evidence of the validity of the usefulness of computational screening procedures in the selection of appropriate MIP precursors in an experiment-free way.     

Helix-sense-selective polymerization of diphenyl-2-pyridylmethyl methacrylate with chiral anionic initiators

Polymerization of diphenyl-2-pyridylmethyl methacrylate was carried out with the complexes of organolithium compounds with 22 chiral ligands. Helix-sense-selectivity of the polymerization was largely affected by a slight structural difference of chiral ligands. (+)-(S)-2-(1-Pyrrolidinylmethyl)pyrrolidine was the most effective ligand in producing a one-handed helical polymer with narrow molecular weight distribution.     

Hydrobenzoin-based rigid chiral polymer

We prepared a rigid, chiral polymer (1) from optically active hydrobenzoin-based subunits. Nonracemic monomer units 6 and 8 were prepared by asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD) methodology and polymerization was carried out under Sonagashira coupling conditions. Polymer 1 was obtained in good yield with a molecular weight M(n) = 5,100 (PDI = 2.3). Modeling suggests that polymer 1 could form a stable helical mainchain conformation in solution or the solid state. The chiroptical data of the polymer and a low-molecular weight model compound (9) are compared.     

A computational approach to studying monomer selectivity towards the template in an imprinted polymer

A computational approach was proposed to study monomer–template interactions in a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) in order to gain insight at the molecular level into imprinting polymer selectivity, regarding complex formation between template and monomer at the pre-polymerisation step. This is the most important step in MIP preparation. In the present work, chlorphenamine (CPA), diphenhydramine (DHA) and methacrylic acid (MAA), were chosen as the template, non-template, and monomer, respectively. The attained complexes were optimised, and changes in the interaction energies, atomic charges, IR spectroscopy results, dipole moment, and polarisability were studied. The effects of solvent on template–monomer interactions were also investigated. According to a survey of the literature, this is the first work in which dipole moment and polarisability were used to predict the types of interactions existing in pre-polymerisation complexes. In addition, the density functional tight-binding (DFTB) method, an approximate version of the density functional theory (DFT) method that was extended to cover the London dispersion energy, was used to calculate the interaction energy.     

Improvement of ligand economy controlled by polymer morphology: the case of polymer-supported bis(oxazoline) catalysts

A functionalized chiral bis(oxazoline) is used as a chiral monomer in polymerization reactions leading to homo- and copolymers of different morphology. Polymers with a high content of chiral monomer lead to enantioselectivities that are higher than those obtained with the soluble ligand, but the chiral ligand is not used in an optimal way. A hyperbranched polymer, obtained by using a hexavinyldendrimer as the cross-linker, leads to the same enantioselectivities with a more efficient use of the chiral ligand.     

Separation of ursodeoxycholic acid from its isomeric mixture using core–shell molecular imprinting polymer

In order to separate ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) from its isomeric mixture, the molecular imprinting polymers (MIPs) were synthesized by using core–shell emulsion polymerization. In the porous imprinting polymer, ursodeoxycholic acid was used as imprinting molecule, acrylamide (AM) and α-methacrylic acid (MAA) were functional monomers, and CaCO₃ was used for the porogen in the polymerization to obtain large pore. Characterization of the MIP structure with IR spectra demonstrated the expected MIPs. Through adsorption and selectivity assays, AM as the functional monomer showed better separation efficiency than MAA, and nonspecific and specific adsorption capacities of MIP with AM were 43.52 and 13.93 mg/g, respectively. The separation factor of MIP with AM for UDCA was 2.20. Furthermore, MIP with AM could be applied to separate UDCA from the isomeric mixture by column chromatography successfully.     

Towards the rational development of molecularly imprinted polymers: 1H NMR studies on hydrophobicity and ion-pair interactions as driving forces for selectivity

The preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) based on non-covalent interactions has become a widely used technique for creating highly specific sorbent materials predominantly used in separation chemistry. A crucial factor in a successful imprinting protocol is the optimisation of the template/functional monomer interaction in the pre-polymerisation mixture, eventually leading to a maximum of high-affinity binding sites in the resulting polymer matrix. In order to develop more efficient preparation technologies for imprinted polymers, two separate pre-polymerisation complexes were investigated by NMR spectroscopic techniques in order to identify the types of interactions occurring in the pre-polymerisation mixture, and their implications for the subsequently formed imprinted polymer. In particular, hydrophobic effects have been followed by NMR spectroscopy and their contribution to the selectivity of the resulting MIP has been investigated. The 2,4-D imprint system is used as an example to fundamentally study whether observations at the pre-polymerisation stage correlate with properties of the finally prepared MIP, and which parameters govern success of an imprinting protocol.     

Formation of glycine conjugate and (-)-(R)-enantiomer from (+)-(S)-2-phenylpropionic acid suggesting the formation of the CoA thioester intermediate of (+)-(S)-enantiomer in dogs.

It has been proposed that the chiral inversion of the 2-arylpropionic acids is due to the stereospecific formation of the (-)-R-profenyl-CoA thioesters which are putative intermediates in the inversion. Accordingly, amino acid conjugation, for which the CoA thioesters are obligate intermediates, should be restricted to those optical forms which give rise to the (-)-R-profenyl-CoA, i.e., the racemates and the (-)-(R)-isomers. We have examined this problem in dogs with respect to 2-phenylpropionic acid(2-PPA). Regardless of the optical configuration of 2-phenylpropionic acid administered, the glycine conjugate was the major urinary metabolite and this was shown to be exclusively the (+)-(S)-enantiomer by chiral HPLC. Both (-)-(R)- and (+)-(S)-2-phenylpropionic acid were present in plasma after the administration of either antipode, and further evidence of the chiral inversion of both enantiomers was provided by the presence of some 25% of the opposite enantiomer in the free 2-phenylpropionic acid and its glucuronide excreted in urine after administration of (-)-(R)- and (+)-(S)-2-phenylpropionic acid. The (+)-(S)-enantiomer underwent chiral inversion to the (-)-(R)-antipode when incubated with dog hepatocytes. These data suggests that both enantiomers of 2-phenylpropionic acid are substrates for canine hepatic acyl CoA ligase(s) and thus undergo chiral inversion, but that the CoA thioester of only (+)-(S)-2-phenylpropionic acid is a substrate for the glycine N-acyl transferase. These studies are presently being extended to the structure and species specificity of the reverse inversion and amino acid conjugation of profen NSAIDs.     

Virtual imprinting as a tool to design efficient MIPs for photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides

Molecular modelling and computational screening were used to identify functional monomers capable of interacting with several different photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides. The process involved the design of a virtual library of molecular models of functional monomers containing polymerizable residues and residues able to interact with the template through electrostatic, hydrophobic, Van der Waals forces and dipole-dipole interactions. Each of the entries in the virtual library was probed for its possible interactions with molecular models of the template molecules. It was anticipated that the monomers giving the highest binding score would represent good candidates for the preparation of affinity polymers. Strong interactions were computationally determined between acidic functional monomers like methacrylic acid (MAA) or itaconic acid (IA) with triazines, and between vinylimidazole with bentazone and bromoxynil. Nevertheless, weaker interactions were seen with phenylureas. The corresponding blank polymers were prepared using the selected monomers and tested in the solid phase extraction (SPE) of herbicides from chloroform solutions. A good correlation was found between the binding score of the monomers and the affinities of the corresponding polymers. The use of computationally designed blanks can potentially eliminate the need for molecular imprinting, (adding a template to the monomer mixture to create specific binding sites). Data also showed that some monomers have a natural selectivity for some herbicides, which can be further enhanced by imprinting. Thus, in regard to retention on the blank polymer, we can estimate if the resulting imprinted polymer will be effective or not.     

Covalent molecular imprinting of bisphenol A using its diesters followed by the reductive cleavage with LiAlH(4)

Bisphenol A (BPA) recognition materials were synthesized by a covalent imprinting technique using BPA-dimethacrylate or BPA-diacrylate as the template monomer. Binding sites in the polymers consisted of two hydroxyl groups that are generated by reducing the ester bonds of the template monomer with lithium aluminum hydride. The polymers strongly adsorbed BPA and structurally related compounds, however, other endocrine disruptors were hardly adsorbed. The BPA-dimethacrylate-based polymer interacted with the samples more strongly than the BPA-diacrylate-based polymer.