Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Analytical Chemistry Applications

Abstract

There is great interest in the preparation of synthetic receptor-based recognition units for cheap, robust, economic, and selective chemical sensors. Molecular imprinting provides the technology to prepare these synthetic units. There are still more and more syntheses of artificial molecular recognition constructs using analytes or their close structural analogues as templates for molecular imprinting. Stability of complexes of these constructs with the target analytes are often similar to those of biological receptors. Therefore, subsequent polymerization of these complexes results in molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) that have a selectivity close to that revealed by natural receptors. The book summarizes the latest developments and applications of molecular imprinting for selective chemical sensing with each chapter devoted to different analytical applications of molecularly imprinted polymers. Specific chapters include: designing of molecular cavities aided by computational modelling, application of molecularly imprinted polymers for separation as well as sensing of pharmaceuticals and nucleotides. The book is suitable for academics, postgraduates, and industrial researchers active in analytical chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, molecular recognition, electrochemistry, and spectroscopy.