New insight into modeling non-covalently imprinted polymers.

Three series of polymers were carefully formulated with increasing amounts of template while keeping the polymer components constant. The number of binding sites (N) and the number average association constant (K(n)()) were calculated for each polymer in a series, using equations adapted from the literature describing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The trends of N and K(n)() for each series of polymers, which were graphed versus percent template, suggest multiple functional monomers in the binding sites of noncovalent MIPs. This new insight has implications for understanding the underlying mechanisms for the formation of binding sites in the MIPs studied.