Development of a molecularly imprinted membrane for selective separation of flavonoids

The separation behavior of molecularly imprinted membrane (MIM) for flavonoids was investigated. The molecularly imprinted materials were prepared using luteolin as the template molecule and aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as the functional monomer, followed by dispersing into polysulfone (PSF) to form the MIM. The flux and the separation properties of the MIM were tested, and the Scatchard equation was used to analyze the chemical binding properties of the MIM. Experiments at different temperature were carried out and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters of separation processes in the MIM were acquired using Van’t Hoff equation. The results obtained using the Scatchard equation showed many chemical binding sites with functional groups inside the MIM's cavities. Further details of the separation processes of the MIM for flavonoids can be determined by investigating the type of pore channels in the MIM and the structure of template molecules.