Molecularly imprinted microparticles based on quaternary ammonium salts for lipopolysaccharide recognition

This work depicts the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) via sol-gel method, further tested against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram negative bacteria. For this purpose, two types of microparticles of MIPs and NIPs (non-imprinted polymers, as control) were developed using quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) as stabilizers, namely vinyl benzyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (VBTAC) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The presence of LPS inside the polymers was confirmed via FTIR and their microstructure was characterized by morpho-dimensional, thermogravimetric and nitrogen adsorption/desorption experiments. Adsorption studies evidenced the presence of binding cavities inside the VBTAC-based MIPs, proving that these particles were more efficient for LPS recognition, compared to the control NIP.