Abstract: Molecular imprinting technology can be used to generate specific artificial polymeric receptors, i.e., high affinity stationary phases, as already shown for peptides and many other food ingredients. In this work, polymers have been molecularly imprinted with three exemplary antioxidants, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and propyl gallate (PG). Results of chromatographic evaluations are presented, demonstrating the specificity of the imprinted polymers (MIP) compared to non-specific control polymers (CP). For a BHA imprinted polymer and the respective analyte BHA a separation factor of alpha = k'(BHA-MIP)/k'(CP) = 1.12 was found, whereas for the BHT-MIP a higher selectivity was determined with alpha = k'(BHT-MIP)/ k'(CP) = 1.47. Using the PG selective MIP for PG as analyte a value of alpha = k'(PG- MIP) / k'(CP) = 1.24 could be achieved. Furthermore, results of extraction procedures based on MIP and CP phases are presented, demonstrating for instance a higher selectivity of the BHA-MIP in comparison with its CP when using methanol or acetonitrile as analyte solvent, and of the PG-MIP when performing the extraction in acetonitrile. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved
Template and target information: butylated hydroxyanisole, BHA, butylated hydroxytoluene, BHT, propyl gallate, PG