Using magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers to efficiently extract and purify chlorogenic acid from Eucommia ulmoides leaves

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a significant natural antioxidant substance with considerable application prospects in the fields of medicine, health food, and chemical engineering. This study developed magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs) through surface imprinting technology with large-particle-sized iron oxide nanoparticles (200 nm) as the core support material, utilizing CGA as the imprinting molecule and methacrylic acid (MAA) as the monomer. The synthesized material was thoroughly analyzed using a combination of SEM, FT-IR, XRD, and VSM. Adsorption equilibrium studies show that the Langmuir isotherm model better fits the binding situation of CGA on Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs, while kinetic analysis indicates that the pseudo-second-order model can more accurately describe the adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity of Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs for CGA is 103.09 mg/g, and it also has good selectivity and reusability. The resulting Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs prove particularly effective for selective enrichment and quantitative analysis of CGA in Eucommia ulmoides leaves. Recovery experiments conducted at three different concentration levels showed consistent results ranging between 84 and 88% with relative standard deviations (RSD) below 5%. The Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs approach demonstrates a simple and efficient methodology characterized by exceptional selectivity, swift separation efficiency, and reliable recovery outcomes. Graphical abstract