Fluorescent functional recognition sites through molecular imprinting. A polymer-based fluorescent chemosensor for aqueous cAMP

A novel design for template-selective recognition sites in polymers prepared by molecular imprinting is reported. Molecular imprints were prepared against cAMP that contain a fluorescent dye, trans-4-[p-(N,N-dimethylamino)styryl]-N-vinylbenzylpyridinium chloride, as an integral part of the recognition cavity, thus serving as both the recognition element and the measuring element for the fluorescence detection of cAMP in aqueous media. This fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer-displays a quenching of fluorescence in the presence of aqueous cAMP, whereas almost no effect is observed in the presence of the structurally similar molecule, cGMP. The association constant for the binding of cAMP to the imprinted polymer was determined to be in the order of 10(5)M(-1)M-1. Such fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymers containing selective sites for cAMP may find applications as fluorescent chemosensors for the aqueous detection of this molecule.