Study of prepolymerization complex formation in the synthesis of steroid-based molecularly imprinted polymers.

The preparation of steroid-based molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) based upon noncovalent interaction is particularly suited for selective capture of steroid hormones in biological and environmental samples. The success of this method lies in the optimization of the interaction between steroids (template) and methacrylic acid (functional monomer) in the prepolymerization mixture. NMR techniques coupled with DFT calculations were used to evaluate the capacity of the methacrylic acid to bind a steroid for future applications.