RESUMO
In this study, molecularly imprinted polymer membranes were synthesized for the recognition and adsorption of quercetin. For this, quercetin imprinted polymeric membranes [p(HEMA-MAH)] (Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-N-methacryloly-l-histidinemethylester) were synthesized by UV polymerization technique using HEMA and MAH as monomers. Synthesized polymeric membranes were characterized with SEM, FTIR and swelling test. Characterized membranes were used for the direct adsorption of quercetin in a batch system. Quercetin adsorption conditions were optimized by using the quercetin imprinted polymeric membrane by altering the pH, temperature and initial quercetin concentration of the adsorption medium. Effect of adsorption time was also studied for up to 180 min. The optimum pH and temperature was determined between 4.0 and 45 °C. Maximum adsorbed amount of quercetin onto quercetin imprinted poly(HEMA-MAH) membrane was found to be as 299.6 mg/g membrane using the initial quercetin concentration of 2.0 mg/ml. Adsorbed quercetin was desorbed from the polymeric membranes with isopropyl alcohol with desorption yield of 98.3%. and repeated usability of the quercetin imprinted polymeric membranes was fallowed for 7 adsorption/desorption cycles. At the end of the 7th reuse, quercetin adsorption capacity of the quercetin imprinted poly(HEMA-MAH) membranes decreased only about 10%.