Assay system for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid using a molecularly imprinted polymer as an artificial recognition element.

Noncovalent molecular imprinting of a synthetic polymer with the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid has been achieved in the presence of the polar solvents methanol and water. Formation of the prearranged complex relied on hydrophobic and ionic interactions between the template and the functional monomer 4-vinylpyridine. The polymer obtained binds the original template with an appreciable selectivity over structurally related compounds. The potential use of micrometer-sized imprinted polymer particles as the recognition element in a radioligand binding assay for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is demonstrated.