Molecularly imprinted magnetic materials prepared from modular and clickable nanoparticles

We report a new strategy toward construction of functional composite materials for fast molecular separation. Molecularly imprinted nanoparticles containing surface-exposed alkyne groups were synthesized by one-pot precipitation polymerization. Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were first coated with a silica shell, and then modified with terminal azide groups. The two types of clickable nanoparticles were conjugated through a Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction to give composite magnetic particles, which displayed high molecular recognition selectivity and could be easily separated using a simple magnet.