Studies of recognition and selectivity by fluorescent polymers imprinted with N1-benzylidene pyridine-2-carboxamidrazones

Abstract

As part of a programme of automated synthesis and biological screening, new fluorescent polymers imprinted with various N¹-benzylidene pyridine-2- carboxamidrazones have been successfully constructed and evaluated for their recognition of the original template and cross-reactivity to similar test molecules. Dramatic quenching of fluorescence approaching background levels was observed for most cases where the "empty" molecularly imprinted polymer was re-exposed to its template. Molecules too large to enter the imprinted cavities gave no reduction of fluorescence. Other compounds were found to quench the fluorescence and are assumed to have entered the imprinted cavities. There is also evidence for partial responses which may give some measure of partial binding. The fluorescence response profiles of substrates containing polycyclic aromatics were found to be quite different from those containing flexible substituents.