Synthesis of surface nano-molecularly imprinted polymers for sensitive baicalin detection in biological samples

Surface molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP@SBA-15) imprinted on the surface of hybrid nanostructured organic/inorganic materials (SBA-15) were prepared for the selective extraction and detection of baicalin (BA) from biological samples. The surface morphologies and characteristics of the imprinted and non-imprinted polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The results indicated that the polymers were successfully grafted on the surface of SBA-15 and possessed a highly ordered mesoporous structure. In binding tests, MIP@SBA-15 reached saturated adsorption within 80 min and exhibited significant specific recognition toward BA with large adsorption capacity. Meanwhile, the prepared MIP@SBA-15 was used as a selective sorbent for solid-phase extraction of BA from biological samples. Recoveries of BA from the liver and spleen ranged from 90.6% to 90.9% with RSD < 3.7%. All these results reveal that this method is simple, rapid and sensitive for effectively extracting and detecting trace BA in biological samples.