The Role of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers In Sensor Technology: Electrochemical, Optical and Piezoelectric Sensor Applications

Abstract

With the help of molecular imprinting technology, artificial receptors can be made and used for identification. This technique's limitless application increases polymer technology and makes it adaptable to other technologies. In this study, examples of sensor applications are used to explain molecular imprinting technology (MIT) and its brief history. MIT can be used to create polymer-based artificial receptors with remarkable selectivity and affinity to detect any target molecules that can be imprinted on a polymer. A monomer is synthesized around a template molecule to create a selective cavity that serves as an artificial receptor. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) offer a wide range of uses and have recently garnered much attention. These polymers' production methods, production kinds, and molecular imprinting techniques are all thoroughly detailed. The outstanding properties of MIPs make a crucial contribution to sensor applications offering selective, fast, easy, and cost-effective analysis, which became very popular after Clark published his first biosensor study. Apart from the biological recognition receptors, MIPs have the advantage that they are not affected by physical conditions of the environment, such as temperature, pH, and ion strength. To overcome the biological recognition receptors' disadvantages, molecularly imprinted polymers can be used for sensor development. From the point of view of the review, the combination of MIPs and sensors was explained and proposed as an informative paper.