Submicrometer-sized silica gel particles were coated
with a polyanion
and a polycation bearing thymine chromophores. The polymer-coated
particles were found to selectively adsorb adenine and adenosine-5′-triphosphate
(ATP), as compared to other nucleobases and nucleotides, respectively.
The adsorption was enhanced by the irradiation of the particles in
the presence of adenine which resulted in the molecular imprinting
of adenine. ATP adsorption was strongly pH-dependent