Theoretical Investigation on Monomer and Solvent Selection for Molecular Imprinting of Nitrocompounds

The aim of this work is to serve as a guideline for the initial selection of monomer and solvent for the synthesis of the nitrocompound-based molecularly imprinted polymers, MIPs. Reported data include evaluation of six systems with the ability to form noncovalently bonded monomer–template complexes. These systems are represented by the following aliphatic and aromatic molecules: acrolein, acrylonitrile, 2,6-bisacrylamide, 4-ethylenebenzoic acid, methyl methacrylate, and 2-vinylpyridine. Cave models for selected monomers are also presented and supported by binding energy analysis under various conditions. Solvent effects on monomer–template binding energy have been studied for four solvents: acetone, acetonitrile, chloroform, and methanol. Additionally, systems such as 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), pentachlorophenol (PCP), and 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (Dicamba) have been used to study selectivity of acrolein-based MIP toward TNT detection. The density functional the...