Chiral separation with molecularly imprinted polysulfone-aldehyde derivatized nanofiber membranes

[Display omitted] ► Molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes would open new doors for membrane separation. ► Molecularly imprinted membranes and molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes were obtained. ► Molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes gave high flux without depression of selectivity. ► Molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes would solve a trade-off relationship. ► Molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes would enhance both flux and permselectivity. Molecularly imprinted membranes (MIPMs) and molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes (MINFMs) were prepared from polysulfone with aldehyde (PSf-CHO-05 or PSf-CHO-10) and N-α-benzyloxycarbonyl-d-glutamic acid (Z-d-Glu) or N-α-benzyloxycarbonyl-l-glutamic acid (Z-l-Glu) as a print molecule. Those two types of molecularly imprinted membrane, such as MIPMs and MINFMs, incorporated the enantiomer, of which absolute configuration was same as that of the print molecule, in preference to the corresponding antipode. In other words, the membranes imprinted by the d-isomer preferentially adsorbed the d-isomer and vice versa. Those two types of membrane showed chiral separation ability by membrane transport. Against expectation, transport of the enantiomer preferentially adsorbed in the membrane was retarded, in other words, the enantiomer less adsorbed in the membrane was selectively transported. The fluxes through the molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes gave one to two orders of magnitude higher than those of usual molecularly imprinted membranes without depression of permselectivity. The present study demonstrated that molecularly imprinted nanofiber membrane gave high flux without depression of permselectivity. A breakthrough in membrane separation would be realized by adopting molecularly imprinted nanofiber membranes.