THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY BASED ON THE MOLECULAR IMPRINTING TECHNIQUE

A new separation approach, combining thin-layer chromatography and molecular imprinting, is reported. Thin-layer chromatography plates were made based on the molecular imprinting technique. Rapid chiral separation of L- and D-phenylalanine anilide, chosen as model compounds, was shown. The obtained chiral separation factor alpha was 3.5. The separation of other compounds (anilide, dansyl, ester, and amide derivatives of amino acids) was tested on L-phenylalanine anilide and nonimprinted TLC plates. It was confirmed that L-phenylalanine anilide was much more retained on the imprinted compared to the nonimprinted plates, due to the imprinting effect. The other related substances tested showed no or much lower retention effects. This preliminary report demonstrates a novel and promising family of stationary phases (based on predetermined selectivity) for use in thin-layer chromatography.