Polymer imprinting with iron-oxo-hydroxo clusters: [Fe6O2(OH)2(O2CC(Cl)=CH2)12(H2O)2], [Fe6O2(OH)2(O2C-Ph-(CH)=CH2)12(H2O)2] and [{Fe(O2CC(Cl)=CH2)(OMe)2}10]

• Published in: Dalton transactions : an international journal of inorganic chemistry 2012-01, Vol.41 (1), p.208-218
• Main Authors: Harben, Spencer M, Mosselmans, J Frederick W, Ryan, Áine T, Whitwood, Adrian C, Walton, Paul H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carboxylic acids; Clusters; Diffusion; Ethylene glycol; Iron; Monomers; Polymethyl methacrylates; Reflectivity
• ISSN: 1477-9226; 1477-9234
• DOI: 10.1039/c1dt11614b

We report the syntheses of imprinted polymers using iron-oxo-hydroxo clusters as templates. Three new iron clusters, [Fe(6)O(2)(OH)(2)(O(2)CC(Cl)=CH(2))(12)(H(2)O)(2)] (1), [{Fe(O(2)CC(Cl)=CH(2))(OMe)(2)}(10)] (2) and [Fe(6)O(2)(OH)(2)(O(2)C-Ph-(CH)=CH(2))(12)(H(2)O)(2)] (3) have been prepared from commercially-available carboxylic acids. Cluster-imprinted-polymers (CIPs) of 1, 2 and 3 were prepared with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate monomer, and of 1 with methyl methacrylate monomer. The imprinted sites within the CIPs were examined using EXAFS and diffuse reflectance UV/vis spectroscopy, demonstrating that the clusters 1, 2 and 3 were incorporated intact within the polymers. Extraction of the clusters from the CIPs imprinted with 1 and 3 gave new polymers that showed evidence of an imprinting effect.