Abstract: In this study, we prepared bisphenol A (BPA)-imprinted gels that can shrink in response to bisphenol A and investigated their molecular recognition functions. BPA-imprinted gels were synthesized by copolymerization of acryloyl-cyclodextrin (CD), acrylamide and methylenebisacrylamide in the presence of BPA as a template. In an aqueous solution containing BPA, the BPA-imprinted gels shrank more remarkably than the nonimprinted gels. The molecular recognition functions of the BPA-imprinted gels were investigated by their immersion in aqueous solutions containing BPA and its derivatives such as bisphenol E and bisphenol F. The responsiveness of the BPA-imprinted gels was dependent upon the kind of BPA derivatives. This indicates that the BPA-imprinted gels can recognize the differences in molecular structures between BPA and its derivatives
Author keywords: bisphenol A, cyclodextrin, gel, molecular imprinting, molecular recognition, stimuli-responsive gel