RECOGNITION SITES INCORPORATING BOTH PYRIDINYL AND CARBOXY FUNCTIONALITIES PREPARED BY MOLECULAR IMPRINTING

Noncovalent molecular imprinting using simultaneously two chemically distinct functional monomers, namely the weakly basic 2-vinylpyridine and the acidic and hydrogen bonding methacrylic acid, was demonstrated in ethylene glycol dimethacrylate based copolymers. Terpolymerizations of this type were shown to be particularly useful for the preparation of imprints against carboxylic acids, which additionally contained a complex array of other chemical functionalities. Such imprinted polymers demonstrated improved recognition capabilities as compared with polymers which were prepared using only one of the functional monomers.