Enantioselective separation of naproxen and investigation of affinity chromatography model using molecular imprinting

A chiral stationary phase for the enantioselective separation of naproxen was prepared by molecular imprinting, in which acrylamide (functional monomer) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate were copolymerized in the presence of (S)-naproxen. Racemic naproxen was efficiently resolved on the molecular imprinting polymer. Effect of concentration of acetic acid in the mobile phase and the affinity chromatography model using molecular imprinting was studied. The data were analyzed using the model, there was a close agreement between the simulated and the experimental curves. The results suggested that affinity chromatography mechanism controlled the retention in this system. Moreover, affinity chromatography equilibrium constant on (S)-naproxen was estimated to be 34.45 in a mobile phase of tetrahydrofuran (THF)-heptane, and was estimated to be 17.69 in a mobile phase of acetonitrile. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.