An Ion-Imprinted Monolith for in Vitro Removal of Iron out of Human Plasma with Beta Thalassemia

Abstract

The aim of this study is to prepare an ion-imprinted monolith which can be utilized to remove Fe(3+) from beta thalassemia patient plasma. Fe, as a template, was initially complexed with N-methacryloyl-(L)-cysteine methyl ester (MAC) to form MAC-Fe(3+) (the complex monomer), which was then polymerized with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) to constitude a Fe(3+)-imprinted poly(HEMA-MAC) monolith (PHEMAC-Fe(3+)) by bulk polymerization method. The template (FC(3+)) was removed from the polymer by 0.1 M EDTA solution. The specific surface area of PHEMAC-Fe(3+) was found to be 35.2 m(2)/g, with a swelling ratio of 60.2%. A maximum adsorption capacity of 150 mu g Fe(3+)/g was observed with PHEMAC-Fe(3+). It was determined that PHEMAC-Fe(3+) possesses relative selectivity coefficients for Fe(3+)/Cd(2+) and Fe(3+)/ Ni(2+), which are 42.6 and 36. 1, respectively, times greater than nonimprinted monolith (produced in the absence of Fe(3+), PHEMAC). The PHEMAC-Fe(3+) monolith has been recovered and reused many times without a significant decrease in its adsorption capacity.