New Strategies for Improved Molecuarly Imprinted Polymers

这项由化学和生物分离项目授予的NSF奖支持南卡罗来纳大学哥伦比亚分校的Ken D. Shimizu教授开发用于色谱和传感应用的具有识别特性的聚合物的工作。分子印迹方法将被用于快速有效地制备具有所需亲和力和选择性的聚合物。然而，印迹过程也是一个低保真度的过程，它产生的结合位点具有广泛的结构、亲和力和选择性。这种结合位点的异质性阻碍了分子印迹材料的广泛应用。三种新的分子印迹策略已经被开发出来，专门解决了印迹聚合物中结合位点不均一性的问题。它们是：1)多功能单体的开发，2)位点特异性修饰后策略，以及3)模板活化单体。这些新策略的一个优点是，它们可以串联使用，以优化和定制特定应用的聚合物的结合性能。为了证明这些新方法的实用性，印迹聚合物将被开发用于对映体过量（ee）测定和在HPLC柱中用作手性分离支撑。所提出的研究的更广泛的影响将是开发快速和低成本地制备具有定制识别特性的聚合物的方法。印迹材料的结合性能得到了改善，在分析和生物技术方面具有广泛的应用前景。这些包括催化、传感、固相萃取、药物传递和色谱。参与该项目的学生将接受高度多学科的教育，为他们在聚合物、制药和分析化学方面的研究工作做好准备。该奖项还将协助支持两项外联活动。第一个是面向K-12学校的拓展项目。学生们在该地区的学校进行化学演示，重点是少数民族人口占主导地位的学校。第二个教育项目是培养高中生的动手实验经验。该项目将高中课程带到南卡罗来纳大学一天。设计了一个分子印迹聚合物实验室，让学生接触到最前沿的研究。额外的互动活动和参观被纳入到科学研究环境中。

CBET-0828897ShimizuThis NSF award by the Chemical and Biological Separations program supports work by Professor Ken D. Shimizu at the University of South Carolina at Columbia to develop polymers with recognition properties for use in chromatography and sensing applications. The molecular imprinting approach will be utilized to quickly and efficiently prepare polymers with desired affinities and selectivities. However, the imprinting process is also a low fidelity process that generates binding sites with a wide range of structures, affinities, and selectivities. This binding site heterogeneity has hindered the wider adoption of molecularly imprinted materials. Three new molecular imprinting strategies have been developed to specifically address the problem of binding site heterogeneity in imprinted polymers. These are: 1) development of multifunctional monomers, 2) site-specific post-modification strategies, and 3) template activated monomers. An advantage of these new strategies is that they can be used in tandem to optimize and tailor the binding properties of the polymers for specific applications. To demonstrate the utility of these new methods, imprinted polymers will be developed for use in an enantiomeric excess (ee) assay and for use as a chiral separation support in a HPLC column. The broader impacts of the proposed research will be development of methods to rapidly and inexpensively prepare polymers with tailored recognition properties. The improved binding properties of the imprinted materials will be widely applicable in analytical and biotechnical applications. These include catalysis, sensing, solid-phase extraction, drug delivery, and chromatography. The students working on this project will receive a highly multidisciplinary education, preparing them for research careers in polymer, pharmaceutical, and analytical chemistries. The award will also assist in supporting two outreach activities. The first is an outreach program for K-12 schools. The students are give chemical demonstrations in the areas schools with a focus on schools with a predominantly minority population. The second educational program is the development of a hands-on laboratory experience for high school students. The program brings high school classes to the University of South Carolina for a day. A molecular imprinted polymer laboratory has been designed, which exposes the students to cutting edge research. Additional interactive activities and tours are incorporated to introduce them to the scientific research environment.