ANYL 19 |
| Molecularly imprinted materials are a smart class of robust abiotic receptors that offer great potential in food and agrochemical analysis. The technique entails the use of organic functional monomers capable of forming reversible interaction with templates (print molecules). Polymerisation in presence of a cross-linking monomer traps the template-monomer complexes in a rigid structure. Removal of the template yields a porous polymer network whose cavities retain the target molecule shape, with functional groups arranged complementary to the template structure. So, the polymer exhibits selectivity for rebinding the template with which it was imprinted. Since its inception five decades ago, inorganic imprinted materials went practically unnoticed, until in the 70's, the conceptual introduction of molecular imprinting in organic polymers, triggered a new interest in this field. The recent growth of interest in organic-inorganic hybrid materials prepared by sol-gel chemistry and the development of a variety of new strategies for imprinting polymeric matrices have led to a growing activity in what became known as molecularly imprinted sol-gel materials. In this lecture, we will present an overview of current applicability of the molecular imprinting technology, both using organic and inorganic precursors, the potential analytical applications of these tailor-made materials in food analysis (solid phase extraction, chromatography, sensing) and their limitations. |
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Analysis of Chemical Contaminants in Foods and Food Contact Substances
8:30 AM-12:00 PM, Sunday, August 19, 2007 BCEC -- 104A, Oral
Division of Analytical Chemistry |