Synthesis of novel molecularly imprinted polymers and their application to the solid-phase extraction of water-based matrices

Abstract

La present tesi s'ha desenvolupat dintre de la línia de recerca que el grup té sobre el desenvolupament de nous sorbents polimèrics per a aplicar-los com a sorbents en extraccions en fase sòlida. <br/>En aquest cas, els sorbents sintetitzats són altament selectius per a la molècula d'interès i es coneixen com a sorbents d'empremta molecular. <br/>Pel que fa al mètode de síntesi s'han explorat diferent tipus de polimeritzacions així com diferents tipus d'interacció entre els components que constitueixen el polímer a fi de millorar tant el procés de síntesi com el reconeixement de la molècula objectiu un cop obtingut el polímer per tal d'obtenir extraccions altament selectives. <br/>Aquest sorbents s'han aplicat per a l'extracció de compostos considerats com a contaminants orgànics emergents en mostres tant d'orina humana com aigües de riu o de depuradora amb resultats satisfactoris en tots els casos, demostrant que aquest sorbents són una bona opció a l'hora de realitzar extraccions altament selectives.

The present thesis has been developed within the research trend that the group has on the development of new polymeric materials for their used as sorbents in solid-phase extraction. <br/>In this case, the sorbents synthesised are highly selective for the molecule of interest and are known as molecularly imprinted polymers. <br/>Regarding the synthesis of these polymers, several polymerisation protocols as well as several kinds of interactions that can be established between all the components involved in the synthesis of the polymers have been exploited. <br/>The sorbents obtained were further applied in the selective extraction of several compounds framed within the group of emerging organic pollutants from human urine, river water or effluent water from sewage plants. In any case, a successful extraction of the target analyte was easily achieved by using any of the sorbents developed, thus proving that these sorbents are a good option when aiming to selectively extract the compound of interest from highly complex matrices.