Preparation of soluble and colloidal molecularly imprinted polymers by living polymerization

1. A process for the preparation of a solution or colloidal suspension of a polymer comprising (i) a synthesis step comprising template-directed living polymerisation of functional monomers in a polymerisation system including a molecular template, thereby producing a complementary polymer at least a part of which is complementary to at least a part of the template, and the step including terminating the living polymerisation before gelling, to produce complementary polymer particles which are soluble or able to exist in colloidal suspension; and (ii) a separation step which comprises providing a chromatography medium having an immobilised template, and performing affinity chromatography with it on the product of the synthesis step to isolate a complementary polymer fraction having a specific affinity to the template.

2. A process according to claim 1 , in which the process includes a step of modifying the complementary polymer particles to produce derived polymer particles, at least a part of which is complementary to at least a part of the template, for preparation of the solution or colloidal suspension.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the living polymerisation technique is selected from iniferter polymerisation, stable free radical mediated polymerisation, atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP), and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerisation.

4. A process according to claim 3 , wherein the living polymerisation technique is a nitroxide mediated radical polymerisation.

5. A process according to claim 3 , wherein the living polymerisation technique is an iniferter polymerisation and the iniferter is selected from:

photo iniferters bearing a dithiocarbamyl group; and

thermal iniferters bearing an azo group.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the living polymerisation is initiated by an initiator selected from:

2-bromopropionitrile with Cu(I)Br complexed with N,N,N′,N″,N″ pentamethyldiethylenetriamine;

polystyrene bromo macroinitiator with Cu(I)Cl/PMDETA;

ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate with CuCl/bipyridine;

1,4-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)acenaphatenediiminenickel (II) dibromide;

2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacephenone in combination with tetraethylthiuram disulfide;

tetraphenyl biphosphine;

tertiary peroxides (e.g., di-tert-butyl peroxide);

SmMe(C 5 Me 5 ) 2 (THF);

styrene-based epoxides in conjunction with TiCl 4 ;

methylstyrene tetramer disodium;

MoOCl 4 -n-BuSn-EtOH;

HCl/ZnCl 2 ;

methyl p-toluenesulphonate;

2,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphinato aluminium methyl;

3-methyl-1,1-diphenylpentyllithium;

butyllithium in THF;

molybdenum alkylidine compounds;

bifunctional organolanthanide(III);

Mo(CH-t-Bu)(NAr)(OCMe 3 ) 2 ;

Mo(CHCPhMe 2 )(NAr)(OCMe(CF 3 ) 2 ) 2 ;

HI/I 2 ;

Zr, Ti and Hf complexes combined with either methylaluminoxane or phenyl borates;

diimide complexes of Pd, Ni, Fe or Co;

homogeneous Ta, Ti, Mo, W carbene complexes;

rare earth metal complexes composed of metallocene type or non-metallocene type complexes;

cationic monocyclopentadienyl zirconium acetamidinate complexes;

esterified fluorinated telomers with one or two hydroxyl groups; and

Yb[C(SiMe 3 ) 3 ] 2 .

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the complementary polymer has a molecular weight of 500-1,000,000 Da.

8. A process according to claim 1 , in which the process includes the steps of: separating from the polymerisation system a complex comprising the template and complementary polymer; and subsequent removal of the template.

9. A process according to claim 8 , wherein removal of the template involves separation of the template from the polymer by means of one or more of change in pH of the solution, change in the ionic strength of the solution, and adding urea, guanidine, or a substance which interacts with the template stronger than does the polymer.

10. A process according to claim 8 , wherein the removal of the template employs one or more of filtration, electrophoresis, chromatographic separation, washing, centrifugation, and dialysis.

11. A process according to claim 1 , in which the process further comprises the use of affinity separation to isolate a complementary polymer fraction having a specific affinity to the template.

12. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the living polymerisation is performed under one or more of the following conditions:

i) a stoichiometric ratio between initiator and monomers;

ii) initiating polymerisation by heating, and terminating by cooling the polymerisation system;

(iii) initiating polymerisation by irradiation, and terminating by stopping irradiation;

(iv) removal of monomers from contact with the growing complementary polymer;

(v) addition of inhibitors to the polymerisation system; and

(vi) the polymerisation system employs a dilute reaction solution.

13. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the functional monomers are selected from:

vinyl monomers;

allyl monomers;

acetylenes;

acrylates;

methacrylates;

derivatives of amino acids;

nucleosides;

nucleotides; and

carbohydrates.

14. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the living polymerisation includes the steps of:

a) template-directed living polymerisation of a functional monomer in the presence of a template;

b) stopping polymerisation;

c) re-starting polymerisation in the presence of a different functional monomer; thereby producing a complementary polymer which is a block copolymer, at least a part of which is complementary to at least a part of the template; and

d) optionally repeating steps a) to c).

15. A process according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of cross-linking the functional monomers.

16. A process according to claim 15 , wherein the cross-linking is effected by one or more cross linkers selected from:

ethylene glycol dimethacrylate;

methylene bisacrylamide; and

N,N′-bisacryloylpiperazine.

17. A process according to claim 1 including a further step of contacting the solution or colloidal suspension of a polymer with a surface; and restarting the living polymerisation to effect reaction between the polymer and the surface.

18. A process according to claim 1 further comprising isolating said solution or colloidal suspension of a polymer and using said solution or colloidal suspension of a polymer as a receptor-specific ligand.

19. A process according to claim 1 further comprising isolating said solution or colloidal suspension of a polymer and using said solution or colloidal suspension of a polymer as a separation matrix.

20. A process according to claim 1 further comprising isolating said solution or colloidal suspension of a polymer and using said solution or colloidal suspension of a polymer as a contrasting agent, catalyst or sensor element.

21. A process according to claim 1 including a further step of attaching an isotope or a fluorescent tag to the polymer.