Preparation and characterization of molecularly imprinted polymer for adsorbing bisphenol A

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor and accurate determination of BPA as an intermediate in synthetic materials is essential. Therefore, a simple and cost-effective method without the use of organic solvents was sought for the extraction of BPA. In this work, molecularly imprinted nanofibres (MIP-NFs) were prepared for the adsorption of BPA using electrostatic spinning combined with molecularly imprinted technology. BPA molecularly imprinted on PLA nanofibres was formed by dispersing the template molecule BPA in a PLA solution and eluting it after spinning. Using this strategy, PLA-based MIP-NFs capable of specifically recognising BPA were prepared by electrostatic spinning. The apparent morphology of the fibres and the adsorption properties of the fibres for BPA were characterised. The effect of spinning conditions on fibre morphology was investigated, and the following conditions for electrostatic spinning were determined: at 30°C, voltage 12 kV receiving distance 15 cm, and spinning solution flow rate 0.60 mL·h-1. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the MIP-NFs were irregularly spherical and agglomerated together; the specific surface area was 24.43 m2·g-1, the pore volume was 0.0424 mL·g-1, and the average pore diameter was 10.5926 nm. MIP-NFs can be used to determine BPA, which is used in the manufacture of polycarbonate synthetics, epoxy resins, flame retardants and many other consumer goods. MIP-NFs is a promising material for BPA adsorption.