Preface

The aim of the present book is to bring into focus an attractive research area and, particularly, recent advances of molecular imprinting in analytical chemistry applications. The use of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in supramolecular chemistry allows devising important materials for selective molecular recognition. For several materials, this selectivity is comparable to that of their biological counterparts. The present book provides several such examples of molecular imprinting covered by fourteen chapters, each devoted to different MIP analytical applications. Accordingly, Chapter 1 describes the most common synthetic approaches to manufacturing nanoMIPs and the use of these nanoMIPs in clinical diagnostics. Chapter 2 delivers comprehensive methods of syntheses of MIPs including designing of functional monomers, which provide different types of interactions with templates. Moreover, this chapter describes different strategies for devising MIPs for health monitoring. Chapter 3 reviews articles involving development of MIPs recognizing nucleosides, and their analogues. The second part of this chapter deals with the application of MIPs in separation and sensing of these compounds. Chapter 4 draws the reader's attention to integration of MIPs with nanomaterials, such as magnetic nanoparticles and conductive nanotubes. The derivatization methods used for this integration is described there in detail. This chapter critically discusses application of such materials. Chapter 5 focuses on commercially available MIP sorbents and patented MIPs, which are dedicated to determination of pharmaceuticals. Chapter 6 covers the advancement of techniques used in the last few decades for MIP micro-structuring and fabrication. Such nanostructured MIPs and nanocomposites allow improving selective target recognition. Theoretical and computational studies of molecular imprinting provided a valuable insight into the nature of the molecular-level imprinting events. Towards that, Chapter 7 presents an overview of a thermodynamic treatment of factors governing the behavior of these MIPs. Moreover, this chapter summarizes the development and current status of computational strategies for studying different aspects of molecular imprinting. MIPs application in development of optical sensors is rapidly growing. Chapter 8 summarizes and critically evaluates main developments in this field over the past five years. Chapter 9 provides a comprehensive overview of the research accomplished towards devising MIP-based chemosensors for selective protein determination. Chapter 10 overviews what has recently been accomplished in devising water-compatible MIPs broadly covering the author's results in this field. Chapter 11 summarizes another exciting application of molecular imprinting, i.e., in heterogeneous catalysis. This chapter enables comprehending of the state of the art of basics of artificial enzymes. Another important analytical application of MIPs that revealed a huge recent growth, is their use in sample preparation. Chapter 12 provides an overview of the MIP based sample preparation techniques. Other than acrylic based monomers, electroactive functional monomers have extensively been applied in molecular imprinting. Chapter 13 reports on typical electroactive functional monomers used in the electrosynthesis of MIPs for chemosensor applications. This chapter critically discusses efforts aiming at enhancement of the imprinting effect and sensing performance. Several literature examples are presented showing that, typically, a chemosensor based on individual MIPs reveal low selectivity and high cross-reactivity. Assembling multiple MIPs into a sensor array brings a convenient and effective solution to the problem. Chapter 14 discusses the key aspects of designing and fabricating MIP sensor arrays. This chapter provides representative literature examples highlighting applications of the MIP chemosensors arrays.

We would like to thank all authors that contributed and made publication of this book possible. They have accomplished a great job in arranging chapters in a reader friendly way. The chapters are summarized in a well readable form.

Interest in preparation and application of synthetic receptor based recognition units for chemical sensors is steadily growing. The book summarizes the latest developments and applications of molecular imprinting to both selective chemical sensing and separation. We strongly believe that it will guide scientists and graduate students interested in doing research in the field of molecular imprinting.

Piyush Sindhu Sharma

Wlodzimierz Kutner