Selective Recognition and Detection of L-Aspartic Acid by Molecularly Imprinted Polymer in Aqueous Solution

Molecularly imprinted polymers selective for L-aspartic acid (LAA) have been prepared using the carboxybetaine polymer bearing zwitterionic centres along the backbone. LAA is well known to promote good metabolism, treat fatigue and depression along with its significance in accurate age estimation in the field of forensic science and is an important constituent of ‘aspartame’, the low calorie sweetener. In order to study the intermolecular interactions in the prepolymerization mixture between the monomer and the template (LAA)/non-template (DAA), a computational approach was developed. It was based on the binding energy of the complex between the template and functional monomer. The results demonstrate that electrostatic interactions primarily guide the imprinting protocol. The MIP was able to selectively and specifically take up LAA from aqueous solution, human blood serum and certain pharmaceutical samples quantitatively. Hence, a facile, specific and selective technique to detect the amino acid, LAA in the presence of various interferrants, in different kinds of matrices is presented.