ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Preparation and characterization of hydrophilic molecularly imprinted microspheres for difenoconazole

Ling Li, Yan Wang, Xin-Xin Liu, and Ran-Hong Li

Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China

E-mail: wy@jlau.edu.cn

Abstract: Hydrophilic molecularly imprinted microspheres (HMIMs) for difenoconazole were prepared by precipitation polymerization using 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker, azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator, and mixture of butanone and n-heptane (6:4, V:V) as solvent. The morphological particle sizes and structures were determined via scanning electron microscopy, laser particle size analyzer, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The average particle size of HMIMs and hydrophilic molecularly non-imprinted microspheres (HNIMs) were 2.72 and 3.28 μm, respectively. Binding experiments were performed in distilled water to evaluate the adsorption capacity of the obtained microspheres towards difenoconazole. Scatchard model shows the maximum adsorption of HMIMs and HNIMs for difenoconazole are 65.04 and 56.97 mg g⁻¹. Langmuir isotherm presents Q _max of HMIMs and HNIMs are 62.89 and 53.19 mg g⁻¹. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model displayed a good linear relation and illustrated that the adsorption process of HMIMs is belong to chemical adsorption. Selectivity analysis presented HMIM1 possessed highly specific binding sites for difenoconazole.

Keywords: Difenoconazole ; Hydrophilic molecularly imprinted microspheres ; Precipitation polymerization ; 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate ; Aqueous media 

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-017-0364-8

Chemical Papers 72 (5) 1277–1286 (2018)