Thermo-responsive molecularly imprinted polymer containing magnetic nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization and adsorption properties for curcumin

Abstract A novel intelligent thermoresponsive-magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (TMMIP) nanocomposite based on N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) & Fe 3 O 4 was designed for the controlled & sustained release of Curcumin (CUR) with the ability to response external stimulus. The TMMIP nanocomposite was prepared using acryl functionalized β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and NIPAM as functional monomers and CUR as target molecule. The recognition cavities which caused by host-guest interactions had direct influence to enhanced drug loading and sustained release of CUR. According to in-vitro release experiment in two different temperatures (below & above LCST of NIPAM) the prolonged & controlled release of CUR were observed. The release rate could be controlled by changing the temperature because of the phase transition behavior of NIPAM monomer. Also, the proposed biosensor displayed effective role in separation science, reasonable adsorption capacity (77 mg g −1 ), fast recognition (10 min equilibration), selective extraction toward CUR in the presence of structural analogues and easily separation using external magnetic field. Moreover, the synthesized TMMIP was confirmed by various characterization