CHAPTER 5: Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-based Materials for Quantifying Pharmaceuticals

Synthetic polymers possessing cavities designed for a target analyte (named molecularly imprinted polymers, MIPs) are used for the development of various analytical procedures. MIPs are used in the different steps of the methods including extraction and cleanup of analytes, as well as analysis of matrix effects. Basically, the analytes adsorbed by appropriate imprinted polymers in off-line or in on-line systems are eluted and detected directly using different analytical techniques or in combination with other separation techniques or sensors. Many procedures dealing with MIPs have been successfully elaborated and extensively reviewed. This chapter focuses on the commercially available MIP sorbents and the patented MIPs dedicated to the determination of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, some details of analytical procedures are presented for the isolation of pharmaceuticals from complex matrices.