Synthesis and utilisation of molecular imprinting polymer for clean-up of propachlor in food and environmental media.

The molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are used as the base material of solid phase extraction (SPE) for the separation and concentration of the propachlor herbicide (Prop) in different environmental matrix. Accordingly, we prepared MIPs on the surface of modified silica gel using propachlor as a template, acrylamide (AA) as functional monomers, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a cross-linker and 2,2-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. The MIP structure was characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Synthesised MIPs had a specific ability to detect the template Prop. The high selectivity solid phase extraction cartridges of molecularly imprinted polymers (MISPE) containing MIP Prop particles were prepared. The optimised Prop-MISPE procedure was developed for enrichment or clean-up of propachlor residues in water, soil and rice samples. Concentrations of propachlor in the samples were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography. Overall, the newly developed technique provides an analytical platform to quantify the trace amount of propachlor residues in multi or complex environmental and food media.