1. FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
PolyOrgLab
Passionate About Chemistry.
Molecularly imprinted poly(acrylic acid) for removal of sertraline
Amadeja Koler1, Tina Kosjek2, Karel Jeřábek3, Tjaša Gornik2, Peter Krajnc1
1University of Maribor, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, PolyOrgLab, Smetanova 17, Maribor, Slovenia
2Department of environmental sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
3Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i., Rozvojova 2/135, Prague, Czech Republic

2. Introduction
to investigate the occurrence of pharmaceutical residues specially transformation products in aqueous environment.
Effects on environment, humans and other living organisms are unknown.
Occur in trace levels.
The analytical method sensitivity is insufficient to detect them.
Sertraline
Norsertraline

3. Introduction
Using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) to improve determination of pharmaceutical residues in complex matrices.
MIPs must provide:
High selectivity,
Stable polymeric material,
Sensitivity,
Permeability.

4. Molecularly imprinted polymers-MIP
Removal of template
Functional
monomer
(monomer, cross-linker)
Polymerization
Rebinding
Imprinted polymer
Polymer matrix
Target molecule

5. Applications of MIPs Sensors, Separation, Catalysis,
Solid phase extraction,
Capillary electrochromatography.

6. Aims
Preparation of molecularly imprinted poly(acrylic acid) with high selectivity for sertraline and norsertraline.
The removal of sertraline target molecule after polymerisation to leave an imprint for rebinding of sertraline.

7. Preparation of sertraline MIP
Functional monomers-divinylbenzene and acrylic acid,
Target molecule-sertraline,
Solvent-porogen mixture of tetrahydrofurane and water (9:1),
Thermo initiator-azobisisobutyronitrile.
Polymerisation-24h at 60°C.
Sample
Molar ratio AA/DVB
Molar ratio AA/ser
MIP86
6/28
5 / 1,18
MIP87
3/28
MIP88
1,5/28

8. Results: Solid phase extraction of MIP
Conditioning
Sample addition
Washing
Elution
MIP

9. Results: MIP effect for sertraline and norsertraline
The MIP effect for sertraline was observed, however
removal of sertraline was challenging.
The MIP effect for norsertraline was observed. The ratios of bound norsertraline between the control polymer and the MIP MT86 was 110% and for MT87 was 160 %.

10. Conclusion We found new selective method based on MIP for
analysing sertraline, its metabolites and transformation products in aqueous samples with the MIP effect proven for the metabolite norsertraline.

11. Future work: -determination of MIP effect for other metabolites of sertraline. -on surface polymerization
In order to get more free reactive sites for binding sertraline.