Cranfield University

University of Leicester

Khalku Karim

Olena Volodimirivna Piletska

Anthony Peter Francis Turner

Sergey Anatoliyovich Piletsky

Sergiy Anatoliyovich Piletsky

Beining Chen

Iva Chianella

Antonio Ricardo Leonardo Guerriero

Alessandra Bossi

Antonio Guerreiro

Stanislav Piletsky

Olena Piletska

Alessandro Poma

The present invention describes a method for synthesis of relatively low molecular weight imprinted polymers using living polymerization, and their application in analytical chemistry, pharmacology, medicine and the food industry. Specifically the low-molecular weight polymers are synthesized by the polymerization of functional monomers in the presence of a template, such as a biological receptor, enzyme, nucleic acid, cell, virus, microorganism, tissue sample or drug using living initiator. The conditions of living polymerization ensure a relatively small size of synthesized molecules. Synthesized in this way molecules (dimers, oligomers, polymers, or their mixture) have a higher affinity to the template than the original monomers and can rebind it in vitro and/or in vivo. As a further aspect of the present invention, polymers synthesized as described above can be used as drugs in pharmacology and medicine, as receptor-specific ligands in analytical chemistry (sensors, assays), and for separations in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and food industries.

Preparation of soluble and colloidal molecularly imprinted polymers by living polymerization

A template (a molecule preferably of molecular size &#x3e;500 Da, or a larger entity such as a cell, virus or tissue sample) is dissolved or suspended in a fluid. The fluid is frozen, and the template is removed (e.g. by dissolution or electrophoresis, or mechanically) to leave an 'imprinted' frozen fluid. This is capable of selectively adsorbing the template substance. It is usable as a separation medium, a recognition element in sensors and assays, and as a catalyst.

Selective binding materials

Monomers (e.g. thinphenes) are caused to polymerise by mixing them with an oxidising agent (and generally a solvent comprising water) and irradiating the mixture with light (visible or UV). Polymer properties can be varied by doping or chemical modification. Uses include sensor elements for assays and electrical components such as electrodes.

Polymerisation method, polymers and uses thereof

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

Khalku Karim