Development of xylose-selective core@shell Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) for application in dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) columns

• Grant number: 23/06494-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2023
• End date: January 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Maria Del Pilar Taboada Sotomayor
• Grantee: Diogo Hideki Moriya
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/22401-8 - Fruit-refinery: obtention processes, characterization methods and generation of products derived from residues of the fruitculture, AP.TEM

Abstract

AbstractThe fruitculture is one of the sectors with greatest economic importance to Brazil, but because it is one of the most valued sectors, its production generates a large amount of waste that can be harmful to health and the environment. In this sense, the reuse of these residues has been one of the most valued research areas in the country. In highlight, the residues of this sector present hemicellulose, which is an amorphous biopolymer of the plant cell wall and is characterized by sugar in larger quantities in its structure. Thus, one of the most common forms of hemicellulose is xylan, which when hydrolyzed, produces xylose, a sugar with five carbon atoms that can be used in the production of xylitol, furfuraldehyde, and microorganisms can convert it into ethanol and butanol. In addition, xylose has applications in industrial, pharmaceutical, food and fine chemicals. Therefore, an effective and inexpensive way to separate and extract xylose from these residues is to use Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs). In the synthesis of MIPs, the functional monomer interacts with the analyte to be studied, forming a complex functional analyte-monomer that, after polymerization, allows the formation of a selective cavity for the analyte, after the material obtained is properly washed, obtaining a polymer with cavities highly selective to the analyte. Although there are studies and works on xylose, little is found on the use of MIP for separation and extraction of this molecule. And, specifically, when it comes to core@shell materials, using silica (SiO2) as the core, they are even scarcer. Thus, this project proposes to synthesize a xylose-selective SiO2@MIP for application in dispersive solid phase extraction columns (DSPE) and its application in the extraction of this sugar in fruitculture waste, in order to add value to these residues and contribute to the circular economy and to SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production of the 2030 Agenda, which aims to promote the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources, reduce waste generation and food waste.