Alternative molecular imprinting, a facile way to introduce chiral recognition sites

In the present article it is demonstrated that the alternative molecular imprintimg technique is a facile one to introduce the chiral recognition site into polymeric membranes. In this technique, the 'molecular memory' of the print molecule, which is recognized or separated, is introduced into the membrane at the same time as the polymeric membrane is being formed from its polymer solution. The molecularly imprinted polymeric membranes thus obtained exclusively recognize the print molecule family, which has the same absolute configuration as the print molecule does. Enantioselective permeation can be attained by applying the optimum driving force for membrane transport. Electrodialysis is a suitable method to supply such an optimum driving force. The alternative molecular imprinting technique is a facile technique to introduce a chiral recognition site into polymeric materials. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.