An introduction to molecularly imprinted polymers

An ideal molecular recognition agent should have high specificity and be composed of a stable, robust, nonbiological material. Molecular imprinting is one of few general, nonbiological methods for creating molecular receptors and it has been proposed as a facilitator to create synthetic intelligent materials having the capability of mimicking biological recognition. It is a promising technique for creating molecular receptors with recognition and binding sites that are chemically and sterically complementary in shape, size, and functionality to the predetermined target molecules in synthetic polymeric matrices. In order to stimulate the fast development of molecular imprinting, imprinting technique as a multidisciplinary field, it should develop rapidly along with the advances in polymer technology, nanotechnology, analytical chemistry, environmental science, biotechnology, etc. This chapter will discuss the basic aspects of molecular imprinting, its chronological development, and other inherent parts of this technology.