2026 (3) 3

https://doi.org/10.15407/polymerj.48.03.123

FEATURES OF THE MORPHOLOGY AND SORPTION CAPACITY OF HYDROPHILIC FAST-ABSORBING PLATFORMS DEPENDING ON THEIR COMPOSITION AND CONDITIONS OF FORMATION

Larysa GORBACH^* (ОRCID: 0000-0003-2711-7244)

Liubov VORONTSOVA (ОRCID: 0000-0002-3792-9409)

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, NAS of Ukraine, 48, Kharkivske Higway, Kyiv, 02160, Ukraine

^*Corresponding author.

E-mail:  gorbachla@ukr.net

Polimernyi Zhurnal, 2026, 48, no. 3: 123–130

Section: Structure and properties

Language: Ukrainian

Received 18.05.2026

Accepted 01.09.2026

Published 19.10.2026

Abstract

The aim of the work was to obtain Hydrophilic Fast-absorbing Platforms (HFP) based on gelatin as a basis for effective colorimetric sensor systems for out-of-laboratory monitoring of toxins (atrazine). Four HFP series (HFP1-HFP4) were synthesized under different conditions. Cooling the gelatin solution to 5 SC produced a physical network of HFP1. HFP2, a rigid covalent network, was obtained by thermally curing gelatin with glutaraldehyde (GA). Formation of HFP3 occurred due to UV irradiation of gelatin and bisacrylamide (BAA), resulting in the structure of semi-interpenetrating polymer networks. HFP4 was obtained from gelatin and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na-CMC) using a combined system of crosslinkers (BAA and GA) and curing methods (heating and UV irradiation), yielding interpenetrating polymer networks. A crushed molecularly imprinted polymer selective for atrazine (MIPatr) was synthesized and integrated into the structure of the HFP. The morphology and water sorption capacity of individual and filled HFPs were studied. The morphology of the samples was examined using light microscopy. The degree of swelling (β) was determined by the gravimetric method. It was established that varying the formation conditions allows regulation of the matrix’s pore architecture and hydrophilicity, which ensures a high mass transfer rate. All samples showed a general tendency to decrease water sorption in the order HFP1 > HFP3 > HFP4. The decrease in sorption indicates the compaction of the hydrophilic matrix. However, introducing the MIPatr filler into HFP2 changes the morphology and increases the sorption capacity of the system, forming a looser, porous structure. The HFP3 sample is the most promising, with the most balanced structure. Thanks to Na-CMC, the pores of GSHP4 are significantly larger than those of HFP1, HFP2, or HFP3, ensuring rapid delivery of atrazine to the MIPatr particles through these large pores. The MIPatr particles themselves will act as selective filters.

Keywords: hydrophilic fast-sorption platform, molecularly imprinted polymers, atrazine, colorimetric sensor system

REFERENCES

1. 1.Wulff G. Molecular Imprinting in Cross-Linked Materials with the Aid of Molecular Templates – A Way towards Artificial Antibodies. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 1995, 34, 17:1812–1832. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.199518121
2. 2.Tokonami S., Shiigi H., Nagaoka T. Micro- and nanosized molecularly imprinted polymers for high-throughput analytical applications. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2009, 641:7–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2009.03.035
3. 3.Guan G., Liu B., Wang Z., Zhang Z. Imprinting of Molecular Recognition Sites on Nanostructures and Its Applications in Chemosensors. Sensors, 2008, 8: 8291–8320. https://doi.org/10.3390/s8128291
4. 4.Vasapollo G. et al. Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: Present and Future Prospective. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2011, 12, 9: 5908-5945. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms12095908
5. 5.Sergeyeva T.A., Brovko O.O., Piletska E.V. et al. Porous molecularly imprinted polymer membranes and polymeric particles. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2007, 582, 2: 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2006.09.011
6. 6.Sergeyeva T., Yarynka D., Piletska E. et al. Development of a smartphone-based biomimetic sensor for aflatoxin B1 detection using molecularly imprinted polymer membranes. Talanta, 2019, 201: 204-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2019.04.016
7. 7.Sergeyeva T.A., Piletsky S.A., Brovko A.A. et al. Selective recognition of atrazine by molecularly imprinted polymer membranes. Development of conductometric sensor for herbicides detection. Analytica Chimica Acta, 1999, 392, 2-3: 105–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(99)00225-1
8. 8.Yarynka D., Honcharenko A., Gorbach L. et al. Validation of a smartphone‑ compatible MIP‑based sensor for bisphenol A determination in wastewater samples. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2024, 416: 7121-7129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05616-y
9. 9.Horbach L.A. Purikova O.H., Serheieva T.A., Brovko O.O. Hydrophilic fast-absorbing platform, filled with molecularly imprinted polymers. Fiz. Tehnol. Poverhni2025, 16, 3: 376-384. https://doi.org/10.15407/hftp16.03.376
10. 10.Sergeyeva Т.А., Gorbach L.A., Slinchenko О.А. et al. Towards development of colorimetric test-systems for phenols detection based on computational molecularly-imprinted polymer membranes. Materials Science and Engineering, 2010, 30, 3: 431-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2009.12.012
11. 11.Ullah F., Othman B. H., Javed F.et al. Classification, processing and application of hydrogels: A review. Materials Science and Engineering C, 2015, 57: 414-433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2015.07.053
12. 12.Ahmed E.M. Hydrogel: Preparation, characterization, and application; A review, Journal of Advanced Research, 2015, 6, 2:105-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2013.07.006
13. 13.Ross-Murphy B. Structure and rheology of gelatin gels: recent progress. Polymer, 1992, 33, 12: 2622- 2627. https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-3861(92)91146-S
14. 14.Farris S., Song J., Huang Q. Alternative reaction mechanism for the cross-linking of gelatin with glutaraldehyde. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2010, 58, 2: 998-1003. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf9031603