Progressive strategies for active agent immobilization within nano-polymer matrices and revisiting free substrate measurement

Abstract

After detailed optimization work, the molecular imprinting polymer technique was successfully applied for precipitation polymerization using methacrylic acid (MAA) as a functional monomer, commercial curcumin (CUR) as a template, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a crosslinker, ethanol/water mixture as a porogenic solvent, and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator. In this study, placing the active ingredient in the inner parts of the polymer matrix by molecular imprinted method, without defined expensive and complex encapsulation processes and only by developing the formulation was successful. The position of CUR in the polymer matrix with the presented fluorescent microscope image was clarified. In addition to increasing the yield to 100% by using the appropriate formulation, 100% binding also was obtained for both molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) as a result of the porogen used in the polymerization process and the used rebinding solvent (in the loading process).The reliability of the characterization results of the supernatant obtained after centrifugation in the bonding process between the active substance and the polymer, with valid visual photographs as proof was also confirmed.

Keywords

• Molecularly imprinted polymers
• Non-imprinted polymers
• Curcumin
• Bonding process