Dummy Fragment Template Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Selective Solid-phase Extraction of Gonyautoxins from Seawater

A multitemplate molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized using fragments similar to gonyautoxins 1 and 4 including 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine, 4-hydroxy-2-butanone, and imidazole as dummy templates by bulk polymerization. Scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy showed a porous structure and the formation of organic groups in the imprinting process of the polymer. One millilitre of 0.1molL(-1) acetic acid and 1mL of 95% methanol were the optimized washing and eluting solutions during the molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction. The adsorption capacity of the multitemplate molecularly imprinted polymer was lower than for the monotemplate molecularly imprinted polymer prepared in a previous study in seawater in which Alexandrium tamarense and Alexandrium minutum were cultivated. This result may due to the inappropriate combination of the dummy template fragments in the synthesis resulting in the unfitness of the imprinting sites for gonyautoxins 1 and 4. In general, it is inappropriate to use fragments with the similar parts to the analyte as the dummy templates. However, this work indicated the optimal molecularly imprinted polymer for the selective extraction of gonyautoxins 1 and 4.