Molecularly imprinted polymers: A new tool for separation of steroid isomers

Abstract

Abstract Molecularly imprinted polymers hold great promise for the separation of chiral compounds. A non‐covalent approach to the synthesis of MIPs relies on the presence of specific and non‐specific interactions, which lead to the formation of a molecular imprint. The structural differences between 17‐α‐estradiol and 17‐β‐estradiol are too small to permit their efficient separation on a MIP prepared with β‐estradiol as a template. Molecular modeling revealed the presence of only one hydrogen bond that differentiates the two isomers.