Dummy molecularly imprinted silica materials for effective removal of aristolochic acid I from kaempfer dutchmanspipe root extract

•Molecularly imprinted silica materials were prepared by dummy molecule.•MIS displays high imprinting effect (IF = 4.23) and binding capacity (8.12 mg g−1).•Removal of aristolochic acid I from kaempfer dutchmanspipe root extract was performed. Aristolochic acid I (AAI), which is naturally produced in aristolochiaceae plants, has aroused many attentions due to nephrotoxicity. Dummy molecularly imprinted silica (MIS) materials have been prepared and applied to selectively remove aristolochic acid I from kaempfer dutchmanspipe root extract. The MIS was prepared by using 1,10-phenanthroline-4-carboxylic acid (its structure was similar to AAI) as dummy template, (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane as functional monomer, tetraethoxysilane as crosslinker and hydrochloric acid as catalyst. The results exhibit that the MIS has excellent imprinting effect (imprinting factor (IF), 4.23), high binding capacity to AAI (Qmax, 8.12 mg g−1) and fast binding kinetics, adsorption amount reaches 61.3% of the maximum adsorption capacity within 1 min. Moreover, compared with nitroterephthalic acid, benzoic acid and p-nitrophenol, the prepared MIS shows superior specific recognition ability toward AAI. The MIS was successfully applied to remove AAI from Kaempfer dutchmanspipe root extract. Thus, it might provide a promising way to directly remove the harmful AAI from the complex matrices. [Display omitted]