Characterization and selectivity studies of molecular imprinted membranes of Puerarin using scanning electron microscopy

Molecular‐imprinted membranes of Puerarin were prepared by phase inversion technique with acrylonitrile–acrylic acid copolymer (P (AN‐co‐AA)). To characterize P (AN‐co‐AA), ubbelohde viscometer was used to measure its viscosity–molecular weight. P (AN‐co‐AA) with different molecular weight was used to prepare membranes. The copolymer–dimethyl sulfoxide solution with Puerarin (PU) template was coagulated in water at various temperatures. The increase in P (AN‐co‐AA) molecular weight and the decrease in coagulation temperature caused an increase in PU recognition property of the resultant membrane. The PU imprinted membrane prepared with P (AN‐co‐AA) showed good selective ability to PU. The purity of PU increased from 56.51 to 98.41 wt%. Surface and cross‐section morphology of the membranes were analyzed by using scanning electron micrograph. High‐performance liquid chromatography was used for the quantification of Puerarin in isolated fraction. SCANNING 33: 7–12, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.