Molecularly Imprinted Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) for the Selective Absorption of Gallic Acid from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

Molecular imprinting represents an innovative method for designing materials with molecular memory, consisting of cavities bearing the shape and size of a template molecule. The cavities are highly specific towards the molecule that imprints the polymer, making molecularly imprinted materials suitable for use in separations. In this work, a new ecological method of alternative molecular imprinting to design imprinted poly (vinyl alcohol) films has been proposed. Gallic acid has been used as template molecule. To demonstrate the formation of the active cavities in the polymeric matrix, fluorescence microscopy as well as studies of gallic acid sorption and desorption have been performed.