Chiral separations of mandelic acid by HPLC using molecularly imprinted polymers

Styrene is used in a variety of chemical industries. Environmental and occupational exposures to styrene occur predominantly through inhalation. The major metabolite of styrene is present in two enantiomeric forms, chiral Rand Shydroxy-1-phenyl-acetic acid (R-and S-mandelic acid, MA). Thus, the concentration of MA, particularly of its enantiomers, has been used in urine tests to determine whether workers have been exposed to styrene. This study describes a method of analyzing mandelic acid using molecular imprinting techniques and HPLC detection to perform the separation of diastereoisomers of mandelic acid. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared by non-covalent molecular imprinting using (+) MA, (-) MA or (+) phenylalanine, (-) phenylalanine as templates. Methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) were copolymerized in the presence of the template molecules. The bulk polymerization was carried out at 4C under UV radiation. The resulting MIP was grounded into 25~441⁄4m particles, which were slurry packed into analytical columns. After the template molecules were removed, the MIP-packed columns were found to be effective for the chromatographic resolution of (±)-mandelic acid. This method is simpler and more convenient than other chromatographic methods.