Selective and efficient extraction of heparin by arginine-functionalized flowered mesoporous silica nanoparticles with high capacity

[Display omitted] •A-FMS-Arg nanoparticles are fabricated for refined extraction of heparin.•A-FMS-Arg nanoparticles exhibit high adsorption capacity towards heparin.•Efficient extraction of heparin from porcine intestinal mucosa is achieved. Arginine-functionalized amino flowered mesoporous silica (A-FMS-Arg) nanoparticles are fabricated via the amidation reaction, and taken as efficient sorbent for refined extraction of heparin. Attributed by the multiple H-bond interaction between the sulfate group of heparin and the guanidine group of Arginine, A-FMS-Arg nanoparticles exhibit favorable adsorption selectivity towards heparin. The three-dimensional flowered structure provides A-FMS-Arg with abundant adsorption sites, and the adsorption capacity is high to 173.71 mg/g. 1HNMR assay indicate that A-FMS-Arg nanoparticles can selectively adsorb heparin from the mixture of heparin/chondroitin, and the practicability of A-FMS-Arg is well demonstrated by the efficient extraction of heparin from digested porcine intestinal mucosa.