Molecularly imprinted polymer prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization for removal of acephate residues from contaminated waters

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) prepared with Pickering emulsion polymerization was designed by a computational approach for removal of acephate from aqueous solution. Methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and chloroform were screened as the optimal functional monomer, crosslinker, and porogen by the Gaussian 03 package using the density functional theory method. The polymerization was carried out in an oil-in-water emulsion using nano-SiO2 particles as stabilizer instead of a toxic surfactant. The characterization results indicated that the prepared MIP had a porous and hollow core, and the particle size was approximately 20 μm. The binding and recognition abilities of MIP for acephate were studied through equilibrium adsorption analysis and selectivity analysis. The results showed that the MIP had high binding capacity and excellent selectivity for acephate. The saturated binding amount could reach 6.59 × 103 μg/g. The Langmuir isotherm model gave a good fit to the experimental data. Moreover, the results of a reusability analysis and practical application suggested that the prepared MIP provides the potential for removal of acephate residues from aqueous solution. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43126.