Synthesis of magnetic molecularly imprinted poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) nanoparticles and their uses in the extraction and sensing of target molecules in urine.

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles are of great current interest for biomedical applications in both diagnostics and treatment. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) can be manipulated by magnetic fields, so that when functionalized, they can be used for the purification and separation of biomolecules and even whole cells. Here we report combining the separation capabilities of MNPs with the functional (binding) capability of molecularly imprinted polymers. Albumin- creatinine-, lysozyme-, and urea-imprinted polymer nanoparticles were synthesized from poly(ethylene-co-ethylene alcohol) via phase inversion, with both target molecules and hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles mixed within the polymer solution. Several ethylene:ethylene alcohol mole ratios were studied. The rebinding capacities for those three target molecules varied from 0.76 +/- 0.02 to 5.97 +/- 0.04 mg/g of molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles. Lastly, the composite nanoparticles were used for separation and sensing of template molecules (e.g., human serum albumin) in real samples (urine) and results were compared with a commercial ARCHITECT ci 8200 system.