Synthesis Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Research Articles

Unlocking New Avenues: Solid-State Synthesis of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are established artificial molecular recognition platforms with tailored selectivity towards a target molecule, whose synthesis and functionality are highly influenced by the nature of the solvent employed in their synthesis. Steps towards the "greenification" of molecular imprinting technology (MIT) has already been initiated by the elaboration of green MIT principles; developing MIPs in a solvent-free environment may not only offer an eco-friendly alternative, but could also significantly influence the affinity and expected selectivity of the resulting binding sites. In the current study the first solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis of MIPs via liquid-assisted grinding (LAG) is reported. The successful synthesis of the imprinted polymer was functionally demonstrated by measuring its template rebinding capacity and the selectivity of the molecular recognition process in comparison with the ones obtained by the conventional, non-covalent molecular imprinting process in liquid media. The results demonstrated similar binding capacities towards the template molecule and superior chemoselectivity compared to the solution-based MIP synthesis method. The adoption of green chemistry principles with all their inherent advantages in the synthesis of MIPs may not only be able to alleviate the potential environmental and health concerns associated with their analytical (e.g., selective adsorbents) and biomedical (e.g., drug carriers or reservoirs) applications, but might also offer a conceptual change in molecular imprinting technology.

Unraveling multi-template molecularly imprinted polymer for selective extraction of triazole antifungals: Theoretical and experimental investigation

Fungal coinfection is an emerging problem in the COVID-19 pandemic. Aspergillus and Candida species are the most prevalent pathogens. Therapeutic drug monitoring of triazole antifungals as a first-line therapy is required to increase their effectiveness and minimize toxicity. Bioanalysis of triazole antifungals requires selective extraction because of the complexity of matrices. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) are potential solutions for increasing selectivity. This study aimed to synthesize a selective MIP sorbent to simultaneously determine voriconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole concentrations through computational and laboratory studies. The host-guest interaction was used in the selection of monomer and solvent. The synthesis was optimized by precipitation and bulk methods using single and multi-template. Adsorption tests, characterizations, and application to the sample were performed to analyze the MIP performance. The optimal synthesis obtained using the precipitation method with mol ratio of template:monomer:crosslinker was 1:4:20. Adsorption equilibrium was established within 3 h and following pseudo-second-order kinetic. The MIP-P9 provided the highest adsorption capacity and followed the Freundlich isotherm. Characterization of MIP confirmed the successful synthesis and template removal of MIP. MIP was selective to triazole antifungals and had higher recovery than NIP and SPE C18. Based on these findings, MIP can be utilized for direct separation in clinical analysis.

Molecularly imprinted electrochemical biosensor for thrombin detection by comparing different monomers.

Aim: Investigating molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in electrochemical biosensors for thrombin detection, an essential protein biomarker. Comparing different monomers to showcase distinct sensitivity, specificity and stability advantages. Materials & methods: Dopamine, thionine and ethanolamine serve as monomers for MIP synthesis. Electrochemical methods and atomic force microscopy characterize sensor surfaces. Performance is evaluated, emphasizing monomer-specific electrochemical responses. Results: Monomer-specific electrochemical responses highlight dopamine's superior signal change and stability over 30days. Notably, a low 5pg/ml limit of detection, a broad linear range (5-200pg/ml) and enhanced selectivity against interferents are observed. Conclusion: Dopamine-based MIPs show promise for high-performance electrochemical thrombin biosensors, suggesting significant applications in clinical diagnostics.

Evaluation of deep eutectic solvents in the synthesis of molecularly imprinted fibers for the solid-phase microextraction of triazines in soil samples.

Nowadays, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are well established and are considered excellent materials for performing selective extractions. However, with the progressive implementation of the principles of green chemistry, it is necessary to find greener alternatives for both the synthesis and further use of MIPs in sample preparation. Accordingly, in the present work, different deep eutectic solvents (DES, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic), as an alternative to conventional organic solvents (i.e., toluene), were evaluated as porogens for the synthesis of imprinted fibers (monoliths), using fused silica capillaries as molds, for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). From this study, the polymer prepared with propazine (dummy template), methacrylic acid (monomer), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (cross-linker), and a formic acid:L-menthol (1:1) DES (porogen) showed the best performance for selective rebinding of triazines. After optimization of the different variables involved in SPME, the new imprinted fibers were successfully applied to the extraction of target analytes (desisopropylatrazine, desethylatrazine, simazine, and atrazine) from soil sample extracts, providing relative recoveries ranging from 75.7 to 120.1%, reaching limits of detection within the range of 6.2-15.7ngg-1, depending upon the analyte.

Application of multicriteria decision analysis to assess the greenness of molecularly imprinted polymers synthesis components

The study applies multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) to rank the components of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) synthesis according to their greenness. The components are taken from papers that are describing synthesis of MIPs for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) sorbents. Functional monomers (n = 14), target/surrogate molecules (n = 10), porogens (n = 8), cross-linking agents (n = 8) and initiators (n = 4) are described with 10 criteria referring to their safety of application, toxicity, environmental persistence and bioaccumulability. The rankings are performed according to three scenarios, with the application of different weights. The ranking results give a specific guide on the selection of green synthesis components for polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as representatives of POPs, by identification of problematic and recommended chemicals. The results are useful in designing MIP synthesis protocols.

Enhanced molecular recognition with longer chain crosslinkers in molecularly imprinted polymers for an efficient separation of TR active substances.

Molecular imprinting technology has been widely studied as a technique to obtain molecular recognition by artificial means. Selecting functional monomers or polymerization conditions plays a key role to optimize molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) synthesis. To date, there have been few reports well exploiting the effect of crosslinkers. Here, in this study, we synthesized the MIPs using poly(ethyleneglycol) dimethacrylate with different units of ethylene oxide (n = 1 to 23) as crosslinkers to observe the molecular recognition abilities. The MIPs were attached to the surface of mono-dispersed polymer beads. The obtained spherical MIPs and non-imprinted polymers were filled in a column for high performance liquid chromatography. Then the retention selectivity toward TR active substances was evaluated. The result revealed that the recognition ability did not improve regardless of the amount of ethylene oxide. With the crosslinker (n = 9), extremely high retention selectivity was observed, which provides at most around ten times as large imprinting factors in comparison with other MIPs. Interestingly, we obtained the highest recognition ability at around polymerization temperature from the evaluation of the recognition ability toward temperature shift using the MIP (n = 9). In general, hydrogen bonding based on MIPs provides high recognition ability at low temperature, whereas, this study indicates that the use of flexible crosslinkers may enable the synthesis of MIPs that precisely memorize the conditions of polymerization. Lastly, we simultaneously analyzed the TR active substances using the column filled with MIPs (n = 9). The result showed relatively linear correlation between the retention strength of each substance and phycological activity toward TR obtained by yeast assay. Therefore, we can conclude that an induced fit like the receptor emerged by constructing the flexible molecular recognition field.

Polyamide film containing a molecularly imprinted polymer prepared on a paper surface by interfacial polymerization and its selective adsorption of benzalkonium chloride

AbstractIn this study, paper coated with a polyamide film containing a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) of benzalkonium chloride (BKC) is prepared. Its BKC adsorption ability and selectivity for BKC adsorption are investigated. The MIP is prepared by agitating an ethylenediamine solution containing an azo initiator, BKC as a template material, and methacrylic acid (MAA) as the functional monomer. First, filter paper soaked in this mixture is impregnated with a cyclohexane solution of terephthaloyl chloride and a BKC–MAA–MIP‐containing polyamide film is prepared on the surface of the paper. Paper containing BKC–MAA–MIP adsorbs BKC. The paper with the highest BKC removal efficiency is prepared under the following conditions: 4 mL MAA functional monomer, 2.5 w/v% ethylenediamine, and 10 min MIP synthesis time. The paper with BKC–MAA–MIP selectively adsorbs BKC from a solution containing BKC, tetracycline hydrochloride, and caffeine. Thus, a polyamide film containing BKC‐MAA‐MIP formed on paper can effectively and selectively remove BKC from aqueous environments.

Molecularly imprinted polymers by reflux precipitation polymerization for selective solid-phase extraction of quinolone antibiotics from urine

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) possess high specific cavities towards the template molecules, thus solid-phase extraction (SPE) based on MIPs using the target as the template has been widely used for selective extraction. However, the performance of SPE depends strongly on the shape and the distribution of the MIP sorbents, and rapid synthesis of MIPs with uniform particles remains a challenge. Our previous studies have shown that reflux precipitation polymerization (RPP) was a simple and rapid method for the synthesis of uniform MIPs. However, synthesis of MIPs by RPP for a group of targets using only one of the targets as the template has rarely been reported. In this work, MIPs with specific recognition capability for a group of quinolone antibiotics were synthesized for the first time via RPP with only ofloxacin as the template. The synthesized MIPs displayed good adsorption performance and selectivity (IF > 3.5) towards five quinolones, and subsequently were used as SPE adsorbents. Based on this MIPs-SPE, after systematic optimization of the SPE operation parameters during loading, washing and elution, an efficient and sensitive enough SPE method for separation and enrichment of the five quinolones in urine was developed and evaluated in combination with LC-MS/MS. The results showed that MIPs-SPE-LC-MS/MS has a good correlation (R2 ≥ 0.9961) in the linear range of 1–500 μg L−1. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the five quinolones were 0.10–0.14 μg L−1 and 0.32–0.48 μg L−1, respectively. In addition, the proposed method demonstrated good reproducibility (≤ 13 %) and high accuracy (92 %–113 %). We are confident that this method holds significant promise for the analysis of quinolones within the contexts of forensic medicine, epidemiology, and environmental chemistry.

In silico and experimental study of functionalized monomer for molecularly imprinted-enoxaparin polymer: A novel green approach

Enoxaparin (enox) is a low molecular weight heparin. Enox, which has side effects of thrombocytopenia and bleeding, requires monitoring drug therapy. The analysis method of enox in the blood plasma matrix needs a prior separation method. There has not been a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) synthesis for enox in earlier studies. Therefore, a novel MIP of enox was synthesized via microwave synthesizer workstation. This research aims to examine the application of in silico studies in selecting functional monomers and their comparison with enoxaparin before carrying out MIP synthesis. Enox as a template was polymerized with itaconic acid (ITA) as the best functional monomer; N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linking agent; water as a porogen; and ammonium persulfate as an initiator. Itaconic acid was selected using the in silico to calculate binding energy, and Gibbs free energy gives the smallest values. Itaconic acid and enoxaparin ratio was computed using DFT, and GFN2-xTB found that 1:6 was the best ratio. For calculations using molecular dynamics simulations, it was found that a ratio of 1:1 was the best, the same as in laboratory experiments using the job's plot. Polymerization was performed using a microwave at room temperature (28 °C) with an ITA ratio of 1:1, 1:4, and 1:6. Nonimprinted polymers (NIP) were similarly prepared without a template as a control. All polymer particles were characterized by spectral (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), thermal (thermogravimetric analysis–differential thermal gravimetry), and morphology (scanning electron microscope). The adsorption capacity for enox was carried out with MIP and NIP. The performance of MIP was evaluated by determining the imprinting factors calculated. The MIP 1:1, 1:4, and 1:6 displayed imprinting factor is 1.21, 0.68, and 0.68, respectively. The best ratio of ITA to Enox is 1:1.

Bibliometric research analysis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs): evidence and research activity dynamics

The escalating issue of water pollution has become a worldwide issue that has captured the attention of numerous scientists. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as adaptable materials with exceptional attributes, including easy synthesis, low cost, remarkable durability, long life, and accessibility. These attributes have motivated researchers to develop novel materials based on MIPs to tackle hazardous contaminants in environmental matrices. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a bibliometric analysis on MIPs’ publications, in order to shed light on the developments and focus points of the field. The selected publications were obtained from Scopus database and subjected to a filtering process, resulting in 11,131 relevant publications. The analysis revealed that the leading publication source (journal) is Biosensors and Bioelectronics; the mostly employed keywords are solid-phase extraction, electrochemical sensor, and molecular recognition; and the top contributing countries are China, Iran, and the USA. The Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm was used for extracting thematic axes from the textual content of the publications. The results of the LDA model showcase that the topic of synthesis and performance of MIPs for environmental applications can be considered as the most dominant topic with a share value of 72.71%. From the analysis, it can be concluded that MIPs are a cross-disciplinary research field.

Levobunolol-imprinted polymer: a theoretical study.

Levobunolol is a β-blocker drug prescribed for the control and prevention of cardiovascular events, such as individuals with cardiac arrhythmia or a history of myocardial infarction. Creating a levobunolol-specific molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) allows for enhanced selectivity, efficient sample preparation, controlled drug delivery, and improved sensing and detection capabilities. In this sense, the aim of this study was to obtain through DFT calculations the synthesis protocol of a MIP for levobunolol testing different functional monomers (FMs), solvents, and cross-linker agents (CLAs). The analysis of structural and energetic data led to the identification of the optimal MIP synthesis parameters, which involves the use of (trifluoromethyl)-arylic acid (TFMAA) as the functional monomer, toluene and chloroform as the solvents, and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETRA) as the cross-linking agent. This rational design offers valuable insights for experimentalists seeking to efficiently synthesize a MIP for this important β-blocker drug. DFT calculations were conducted using the B97D functional along with the Pople's split valence 6-31G(d,p) basis set, which includes polarization functions on all atoms (B97D/6-31G(d,p)).

Adsorption and Recognition Property of Tyrosine Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Prepared via Electron Beam Irradiation.

To realize the selective separation of L-tyrosine (L-Tyr) and avoid the drawbacks of traditional thermal polymerization, electron beam irradiation polymerization was developed for the fabrication of L-Tyr molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). Firstly, L-Tyr MIPs were prepared with methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and without an initiator. Then, the influence of absorbed dosage and temperature on the adsorption capacity of L-Tyr, as well as the thermodynamic behavior, were investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of 10.96 mg/g for MIPs was obtained with an irradiation dosage of 340 kGy under 15 °C, and the ΔH0 and ΔS0 of the adsorption process are -99.79 kJ/mol and -0.31 kJ/mol·K, respectively. In addition, the effect of adsorption time on adsorption performance was evaluated under different initial concentrations, and the kinetic behavior was fitted with four different models. Finally, the recognition property of the obtained MIPs was investigated with L-Tyr and two analogues. The obtained MIPs have an imprinting factor of 5.1 and relatively high selective coefficients of 3.9 and 3.5 against L-tryptophan and L-phenylalanine, respectively. This work not only provided an L-Tyr MIP with high adsorption capacity and selectivity but also provided an effective and clean method for the synthesis of MIPs.

Dummy template molecularly imprinted polymers as potential sorbents in the separation and purification of active compounds in natural products

AbstractMolecular imprinting technology is a promising technique for separating, purifying, and enriching target compounds with high selectivity and sensitivity. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technique has developed rapidly in the separation and purification of chemical compounds and secondary metabolites of natural products. However, there are real challenges to the isolation of target compounds in natural products such as the unavailability of target compounds and high cost, so it is necessary to develop another approach to MIP synthesis. The dummy template is a solution to the unavailability of target compounds as it will produce a binding site that is specific enough for the target compound through covalent or non‐covalent bonds and the presence of the same functional groups between the target compound and the dummy will result in an interaction between the target compound and the binding site made using the dummy template. In addition, this dummy MIP (DMIP) is the best solution for overcoming the template leakage in traditional MIPs so that the DMIP technique is very good for removing and purifying compounds that are allergenic or toxic in natural product samples (high traceability). This review article will discuss the development of DMIPs in the separation and purification of compounds in natural products and the factors that affect their performance. Our discussion highlights the importance of selecting the right dummy template for optimal DMIP performance. This selection should be based on factors such as functional group similarity, being in the same bioactive compound group, and structural skeleton similarity. In addition, the selection and composition of other DMIP components can also affect the analytical performance of the DMIP.

Study on monomer functional suitability toward sofosbuvir in molecularly imprinted polymer: In silico and experimental study

Sofosbuvir (SOF) is an anti-HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) used as an off-label drug in treating COVID-19 and the usage requires good therapeutic drug monitoring, with analytical and suitable sample preparation methods. Therefore, this research aimed to apply in silico and laboratory testing in preparing SOF molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP). MIP is expected to improve sample preparation performance. The best functional monomer and porogen selection were determined through the use of Density Functional Theory (DFT) method with the B3LYP basis set 6–31G (d,p) and molecular dynamics simulation. The association constant test and Jobs plot were determined by the UV spectrophotometry and MIP synthesis method was conducted by bulk and precipitation polymerization. The polymer particles underwent characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The result showed that methacrylic acid (MAA) and acetonitrile were the best functional monomer and porogen for synthesis. Precipitation polymerization yielded superior outcomes in terms of polymer homogeneity and adsorption capability compared to bulk polymerization. Polymer, MIP B, with a composition ratio of template:functional monomer:cross-linkers = 1:1:20, which was synthesized by the precipitation method, provided the best adsorption capability in all solvents tested, and had an imprinting factor of 1.15.

Nitenpyram-imprinted polymer: A theoretical investigation

The main objective of this study was to use Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for nitenpyram (NIT), which is a type of neonicotinoid insecticide used in agriculture. Various functional monomers (FMs), solvents, and cross-linker agents (CLAs) were evaluated. Based on the structural, electronic, and thermodynamic data obtained at the molecular level, the optimal protocol for MIP synthesis was determined. The results indicate that the best combination of parameters includes (trifluoromethyl)-arylic acid (TFMAA) as the FM, chloroform as the solvent, and trimethacrylate (TRIM) as the CLA.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Selective Recognition of Microcystins: An African Perspective

AbstractMicrocystins (MCs) are found in aquatic settings and have detrimental effects on both human and animal health. Their occurrence is influenced by the deposition of nutrients in water and further increased by high temperatures which favor the proliferation of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Climatic conditions in Africa favor the growth of HABs. Therefore, determination of MC contamination of African water sources is of paramount importance. The use of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the adsorption of MCs has recently gained increasing interest in the selective and rapid determination of MCs in water. MIPs are ideal adsorbents for this purpose because of their versatility and environmental friendliness and thus have potential to replace conventional adsorbents such as activated carbon and silica composites. This review summarizes the occurrence of MCs in Africa as well as the detection and determination methods used for analysis. Secondly, common methods for the synthesis of MIPs are compared and their application and efficacy towards determination of MCs in water is investigated, with focus on the African continent. An assessment of current challenges and proposed solutions is also presented.

Selective recognition of bisphenol a using molecularly imprinted polymer based on choline chloride-methacrylic acid deep eutectic solvent monomer: Synthesis characterization and adsorption study

A deep eutectic solvent molecularly imprinted polymer (DES-MIP) was synthesized via bulk polymerization using bisphenol A (BPA) as the template, DES as the monomer, ethylene glycol dimethyl acrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker, and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as the initiator. The DES-MIP was then compared with a conventional molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as a reference, which was synthesized using methacrylic acid (MAA) as a functional monomer. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the synthesized polymers. The DES-MIP has a higher selectivity for BPA (17.72 mg/g) g) as compared to the structurally similar compounds including bisphenol AP (9.78 mg/g), 2-naphthol (8.25 mg/g), and 4-tertiary butyl-phenol (6.98 mg/g). The investigation focused on optimizing various parameters such as pH, adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics. The DES-MIP exhibited the highest binding capacity at pH 7. Kinetic and isotherm analyses revealed that the data corresponded well with pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption of BPA on DES-MIP was exothermic and spontaneous with ΔH0 (−23.734 kJ/mol) and ΔG0 (−2.929 kJ/mol−). These results demonstrate the efficacy of DES as a functional monomer alternative for MIP synthesis, which significantly enhances the recognition of BPA adsorption. According to reusability tests, the polymer could be recycled five times without losing significant adsorption capacity. DES-MIP is an interesting adsorbent with a good adsorption capability and remarkable selectivity for BPA capture.

Synthesis & characterization of novel MIP with RAFT polymerization of (2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate)/chitosan as a nanocarrier for drug delivery applications

The primary function of the drug delivery system is to transfer various drugs to certain parts of the body. The drug is transferred reliably in the molecularity imprinted system, based on adjusting the drug release mechanism to control the drug amount and treatment duration. Molecular Imprinting Technology can provide an efficient polymer system to detect bioactive molecules and has high adsorption capacity as drug delivery carriers. This study developed a nanocarrier of molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) of poly (2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate)/chitosan nanocomposite and also evaluated their performance for drug loading and release in the buffer blood medium. Nanocarriers were prepared based on the RAFT polymerization technique, and cefixime was applied to evaluate the load and release of drugs in nanocarriers. Crucial parameters such as the ratio of imprinted to functional monomer and also the ratio of functional monomer to cross-link should be assessed to obtain the best performance of the MIP. Each of these parameters was studied for four different ratios. TEM analysis showed that the particle size of optimum MIP was between 15 and 20 nm. The specific surface area of CH-CEMIP (chitosan-cefixime MIP) and CEMIP (cefixime MIP) samples were 7.53 and 6.32 m2/g, respectively. Comparing these amounts and the specific surface area of the (Non-Imprinted) NIP sample (1.87 m2/g) indicated that special diagnostic pores were generated. In the drug loading process, the CH-CEMIP sample with 82 mg/g could link to the drug more than CEMIP and NIP samples due to its high selectivity property. Furthermore, according to the drug release experiments, the CH-CEMIP sample performed better in 250 h as 84 % of cefixime in this duration was released slowly and steadily.

A new approach to prediction riboflavin absorbance using imprinted polymer and ensemble machine learning algorithms

The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) is useful for measuring the amount of riboflavin (vitamin B2), in various samples using UV/Vis instruments. The practical optimization of the MIP synthesis conditions has a number of drawbacks, like the need to spend money, the need to spend time, the use of the compounds that cause contamination, needing laboratory equipment and tools. Using machine learning (ML) to predict the amount of riboflavin absorbance is a creative solution to overcome the problems and shortcomings of optimizing polymer synthesis conditions. In fact, by using the model without needing real work in the laboratory, the optimum laboratory conditions are determined, and as a result the maximized absorption of the riboflavin is obtained. In this paper, MIP was synthesized for selective extraction of the riboflavin, and UV/Vis spectrophotometry was used to quantitatively measure riboflavin absorbance. Various factors affect the performance of the polymer. The effect of six important factors, including the molar ratio of the template, the molar ratio of monomer, the molar ratio of cross-linker, loading time, stirring rate, and pH, were investigated. Then, using ensemble ML algorithms, like gradient boosting (GB), extra trees (ET), random forest (RF), and Ada boost (Ada) algorithms, an accurate model was created to predict the riboflavin absorption. Also, the mutual information feature selection method was used to determine the important features. The results of using feature selection method was shown that variables such as the molar ratio of the template, the molar ratio of the monomer, and the molar ratio of the cross-linker had a high effect on riboflavin absorbance. The GB and Ada boost algorithms performed better than ET and RF algorithms. After tuning the n-estimator hyper parameter (n-estimator = 300), the GB algorithm was shown an excellent performance in predicting the absorbance of riboflavin and the maximum R2-scoring of the model was obtained at 0.965995, the minimum of the mean absolute error (MAE), and mean square error (MSE) of the model respectively were obtained −0.003711 and −0.000078. Therefore, by using the proposed model, it is possible to predict riboflavin absorbance theoretically, and with high accuracy by changing the inputs of model, and using the model instead of working in the lab saves time, money, chemical compounds, and lab ware.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Biomimetic Systems for Sensing Environmental Contaminants, Biomarkers, and Bioimaging Applications

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), a biomimetic artificial receptor system inspired by the human body’s antibody-antigen reactions, have gained significant attraction in the area of sensor development applications, especially in the areas of medical, pharmaceutical, food quality control, and the environment. MIPs are found to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of typical optical and electrochemical sensors severalfold with their precise binding to the analytes of choice. In this review, different polymerization chemistries, strategies used in the synthesis of MIPs, and various factors influencing the imprinting parameters to achieve high-performing MIPs are explained in depth. This review also highlights the recent developments in the field, such as MIP-based nanocomposites through nanoscale imprinting, MIP-based thin layers through surface imprinting, and other latest advancements in the sensor field. Furthermore, the role of MIPs in enhancing the sensitivity and specificity of sensors, especially optical and electrochemical sensors, is elaborated. In the later part of the review, applications of MIP-based optical and electrochemical sensors for the detection of biomarkers, enzymes, bacteria, viruses, and various emerging micropollutants like pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, and heavy metal ions are discussed in detail. Finally, MIP’s role in bioimaging applications is elucidated with a critical assessment of the future research directions for MIP-based biomimetic systems.