Solid-phase Extraction of a Triazine Herbicide Using a Molecularly Imprinted Synthetic Receptor

Abstract

A molecularly imprinted synthetic polymer receptor selective for triazine herbicides was prepared by suspension polymerization, and was applied to the specific solid-phase extraction of simazine, one of the triazine herbicides, from water. The procedure involves the reversed-phase mode operation of the synthetic receptor to retain lipophilic agrochemicals, including simazine, in water, followed by affinity separation based on hydrogen bonding which exhibits selective retention of simazine, eluting the other undesired compounds. The solid-phase extraction yielded a 56 times concentrated simazine solution with a recovery rate of 91%.