INFLUENCE OF POLYMER MORPHOLOGY ON THE ABILITY OF IMPRINTED NETWORK POLYMERS TO RESOLVE ENANTIOMERS

Network copolymers imprinted With L-phenylalanine anilide (L-PheNHPh) exhibit an affinity for the print molecule. The binding of L-PheNHPh to the polymer can be quantitatively evaluated by employing the material as a stationary phase in a HPLC experiment. The degree of separation of the D and L enantiomers of PheNHPh (alpha value) is used to establish the influence of polymer morphology on polymer performance. Factors that promote stabilization of the template-polymerizable monomer complex prior to polymerization results in polymers with stronger and more selective binding of the substrate. Interestingly, a gel-like non-porous polymer performed similarly to a mesoporous polymer. Performance is also improved upon heat treatment of the polymers and various ways to inhibit the molecular recognition effect are demonstrated.