2.17 - Molecularly Imprinted Polymers

Abstract

Despite the huge developments in analytical instrumentation since the early 1990s, sample preparation is still considered the bottleneck of the analytical process. In this regard, efforts have been made to improve selectivity during extraction and/or subsequent cleanup of sample extracts. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are stable polymers with molecular recognition abilities, provided by the presence of a template during their synthesis, and thus are excellent materials to provide selectivity in sample preparation. In this chapter, factors affecting the synthesis of MIPs and their subsequent performance in sample preparation procedures are discussed. The use of MIPs in solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction as well as recent incorporation into other extraction techniques such as matrix solid-phase dispersion and stir-bar sorptive extraction, among others, is described. The advantages and drawbacks of each methodology as well as the future expected trends are discussed.