Molecular Recognition Interface
Biomimetic recognition schemes utilizing molecularly templated/imprinted polymers (MIPs) have proven their potential as synthetic receptors in numerous applications, including liquid chromatography, solid phase extraction, biomimetic assays, and sensor systems. The inherent advantages of synthetic receptors and functionalized membranes in contrast to biochemical/biological recognition and immobilization systems include their robustness, synthetic versatility, and potentially lower costs, rendering MIPs ideal molecular capturing matrices adaptable for selective recognition or immobilization of a wide range of molecules.
We have successfully demonstrated this concept for a variety of molecular species including flavones/flavonoids, mycotoxins, herbicides/pesticides, and estradiol derivatives (→ endocrine disrupting compounds). However, tailoring synthetic recognition elements to a target analyte requires thorough analysis and fundamental understanding of the governing molecular processes during the imprinting procedure, with the ultimate goal of rationally designing and predicting optimized synthetic pathways leading to molecular capture, recognition, and immobilization elements with superior control of their physical geometry and molecular selectivity. Hence, our current research focuses on the fundamental analysis of the governing principles in non-covalent molecular templating combining NMR, IR, UV/Vis, ITC, and XRD studies for elucidating the nature of the involved interactions as the basis for novel molecular dynamics simulations. These enable modeling of the interactions of template molecules with functional monomers and cross-linkers in explicit solvent, leading to the next generation of molecular imprints.
Furthermore, we are studying a wide variety of aliphatic polymer membranes with particular emphasis on their enrichment properties for volatile organics, and investigating functionalized sol-gel materials as selective recognition materials.
Ongoing Projects:
- Rational design and molecular modeling of MIPs
- MIPs for mycotoxins (DON, ZON)
- MIPs for endocrine disruptors (estradiols)
- MIPs for food and beverage analysis (flavones)
- MIPs for environmental analysis (2,4-D, NP)
- Screening of sensor membrane libraries
- Functionalized sol-gels
