Magnetic molecularly imprinted multishell particles for zearalenone recognition

This paper deal with the synthesis and characterization of a new class of magnetic molecularly imprinted (MIP) particles, with selective recognition properties for Zearalenone (ZEN), an estrogenic mycotoxin. These particles present a multishell structure, comprising a magnetic core, constituted by spherical aggregates of magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles), covered by a thin silica layer and surrounded by a molecularly imprinted (MIP) polymer shell, obtained employing quercetin as the dummy template and 4-vinylpyridine as the functional monomer. A multistep synthetic procedure was developed leading to spherical particles with a mean diameter of approximately 900 nm and a high magnetic fraction. The MIP were tested for ZEN re-binding properties. ZEN-MIP material had 55-fold more affinity for ZEN than the corresponding non-imprinted (NIP) material, that highlighting their potential for ZEN concentration from complex food matrices.