Surface molecularly imprinted polymers (SMIPs) with a core-shell structure were prepared through a novel two-step distillation precipitation polymerization (DPP) method.The first-step DPP allowed formation of cores composed of copolymeric microsphere of methacrylic acid and divinylbenzene (PMAA-co-DVB)

and in the second-step DPP

the core was modified with a molecularly imprinting layer with erythromycin (EM) as template

methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer

divinylbenzene (DVB) as crosslinking agent and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator.Laser particle size determination

scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a series of binding tests were employed to characterize the morphology and the binding properties of the obtained SMIPs.It showed that when the fraction of the monomers was 7 vol% in the whole reaction system

the prepared PMAA-co-DVB microspheres afforded good morphology and monodispersity.Moreover

when the molar ratio of MAA to EM was 1:4 and the fraction of the monomers was 2.8 vol% in the second-step DPP

the synthesized SMIPs displayed optimal binding performance with the maximum binding capacity of 76.8 mg/g and the binding saturation time of 90 min.Meanwhile

the produced SMIPs exhibited higher binding ability to the template molecule-EM

compared with its analogue

roxithromycin.