SGER:Surface Molecular Imprinting of Synthetic Membranes

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CTS-0087053Georges BelfortRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteSGER: Surface Molecular Imprinting of Synthetic Membranes ABSTRACT The goal of this one-year "Small Grant for Exploratory Research" (SGER) is to evaluate two promising methods of molecular imprinting to produce selective molecular-recognition membranes. The expected advantages of the new methods are lower cost, an increased number of accessible imprint sites, significantly faster binding with improved mass transfer rates and reduced tailing, and applicability in aqueous environments. With two photooxidation approaches - surface template and emulsion polymerization - the approach is to prepare, characterize, and test molecular-imprinted synthetic polymeric membranes. First, for surface template polymerization, molecular-imprinted poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membranes are produced using Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's patented photooxidation process. Since PES is intrinsically photoactive, a photoinitiator is not required, thus reducing the cost, duration and complexity of the process significantly. PES is also one of the most widely used polymers for membranes and is amenable to surface modification in aqueous environments. Second, for emulsion polymerization, after casting of water-in-oil emulsions as a thin film onto flat surfaces and onto microporous synthetic membranes, the oil phase is polymerized around the imprint and functional molecules using UV radiation. Finally, in both cases, the water and templates are removed by microwave heating, which opens up pores and leaves imprinted cavities in a two-dimensional film. The nature and significance of the potential impact of this work, should it succeed, can be summarized as follows. In traditional affinity-separation methods the active functionality must be synthesized and then attached to a support matrix. Fabricating the functionalized surface in situ can eliminate a number of processing steps. Both surface-template and emulsion polymerization as applied here have the potential to be simple, scalable, and inexpensive. Also, the resulting thin membranes could effectively compete with more common adsorption affinity methods to accomplish difficult separations.