Molecular imprinting technology (MIT), often described as a method of making a molecular lock to match a molecular key, is a technique for the creation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with tailor-made binding sites complementary to the template molecules in shape, size and functional groups. Owing to their unique features of structure predictability, recognition specificity and application universality, MIPs have found a wide range of applications in various fields. Herein, we propose to comprehensively review the recent advances in molecular imprinting including versatile perspectives and applications, concerning novel preparation technologies and strategies of MIT, and highlight the applications of MIPs. The fundamentals of MIPs involving essential elements, preparation procedures and characterization methods are briefly outlined. Smart MIT for MIPs is especially highlighted including ingenious MIT (surface imprinting, nanoimprinting, etc.), special strategies of MIT (dummy imprinting, segment imprinting, etc.) and stimuli-responsive MIT (single/dual/multi-responsive technology). By virtue of smart MIT, new formatted MIPs gain popularity for versatile applications, including sample pretreatment/chromatographic separation (solid phase extraction, monolithic column chromatography, etc.) and chemical/biological sensing (electrochemical sensing, fluorescence sensing, etc.). Finally, we propose the remaining challenges and future perspectives to accelerate the development of MIT, and to utilize it for further developing versatile MIPs with a wide range of applications (650 references).

http://ir.yic.ac.cn/bitstream/133337/17045/1/Molecular%20imprinting%20perspectives%20and%20applications.pdf

Molecular imprinting: perspectives and applications

Molecular imprinting science and technology: a survey of the literature for the years up to and including 2003

The technique of molecular imprinting allows the formation of specific recognition and catalytic sites in macromolecules by the use of templates. Molecularly imprinted polymers have been applied in an increasing number of applications where molecular binding events are of interest. These include (i) the use of molecularly imprinted polymers as tailor-made separation materials, (ii) antibody and receptor binding site mimics in recognition and assay systems, (iii) enzyme mimics for catalytic applications, and (iv) recognition elements in bio-sensors. The stability and low cost of molecularly imprinted polymers make them advantageous for use in analysis as well as in industrial scale production and application.

The Emerging Technique of Molecular Imprinting and Its Future Impact on Biotechnology

Molecularly imprinted polymers : synthesis and characterisation

Optimization, evaluation, and characterization of molecularly imprinted polymers.

Noncovalent molecular imprinting using simultaneously two chemically distinct functional monomers, namely the weedy basic 2-vinylpyridine and the acidic and hydrogen bonding methacrylic acid, war demonstrated in ethylene glyool dimethacrylate bared copolymers. Terpolymerizations of this type were shown to be particularly useful for the preparation of imprints against carboxylic acids, which additionally contained a complex array of other chemical functionalities. Such imprinted polymers demonstrated improved recognition capabilities as compared with polymers which were prepared using only one of the functional monomers

Olof Ramstroem

Papers

Recognition sites incorporating both pyridinyl and carboxy functionalities prepared by molecular imprinting