Biomimetic materials for the characterisation of water samples
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can interfere with the reproduction system of humans and animals by mimicking hormones. A large number of chemicals with potential endocrine disrupting activity are found among industrial chemicals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, but also among natural products such as phytohormones. During the three-year MENDOS project several key steps towards the development of novel screening systems for EDCs were achieved. Aiming beyond current technologies that rely almost exclusively on biological or biochemical assays, researchers at ARC Seibersdorf research GmbH designed artificial systems mimicking their natural recognition abilities. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) which can recognise, by their structure, priority pollutants such as benzo[a]pyrene BaP were synthesised in bulk format, as well as in the form of microspheres. Next to selectivity, the particle size of MIPs was considered of high importance since this is directly related to their affinity capability. The size and morphology of MIPs could be controlled by varying polymerisation conditions and the concentration of either 4-vinylpyridine or divinylbenzene incorporated as cross-linking monomers between polymer chains. Chromatographic evaluation revealed pronounced selectivity of the developed MIPs with dimensions ranging from 10 to 25μm. Moreover, the high antibody-like binding properties recommended MIPs as promising solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents. It was demonstrated that MIPs compare favourably with commercially available SPE sorbents in terms of selectivity and recovery. MIPs were proven to remain stable under harsh chemical conditions, and a wide range of binding and eluting chemical agents can be applied without losing their detection and recognition capabilities. The MENDOS project partner recognised in MIPs a robust means of selectively extracting BaP from complex aqueous samples, including tap water and lake water.
