Molecularly Imprinted Microparticles Embedded Composite Cryogel Column for Chiral Separation of L-Phenylalanine

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) play a key role in the chiral separation of enantiomers. Incorporating MIP-based microparticle structures into cryogels increases the composite's surface area and enhances mass transfer by offering more binding sites and facilitating interactions. Here, we developed a composite cryogel column embedded with MIP microparticles for the selective separation of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe). L-Phe-imprinted microparticles of uniform size, shape, and surface morphology were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then, the L-Phe concentration, temperature, ionic strength, and adsorption time were investigated to study the adsorption process. Notably, the highest adsorption at 25 °C was 39.40 mg g-1. The composite cryogel column embedded with L-Phe-imprinted microparticles was shown to be suitable for repeated use in L-Phe enantioseparation. Finally, the adsorption mechanism was studied by analyzing both adsorption isotherms and kinetics and comparing the results with established theoretical models.