MIPs-Based Sensors and Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring

Molecular imprinting technology (MIT) is a technique used for designing artificial receptors with programmed selectivity and specificity for target molecular templates. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are considered as advanced polymer substrates material obtained by MIT. MIPs has been recognized due to its specific characteristics including template-driven cavity recognition and excellent selectivity towards target templates, so the natural receptors and enzymes can be replaced by MIPs potential characteristic activities. However, MIPs is also known as ideal material for the construction of sensors and biosensors through several methods of preparation. Moreover, MIPs-based detection regulates various selectivity patterns followed by selection of template analyte during the blotting process. The introduction of various functional materials with a variety of detection strategies, the combination of MIPs with various sensing types including electrochemistry, electrochemiluminescence, photochemistry and fluorescence, may lead to generate new generation of detection methods. In addition, as compared with traditional analytical methods, MIPs-based sensors and biosensors may achieve rapid, low-cost, highly selective and highly sensitive monitoring of harmful substances in the environment. Particularly in the present situation, the increasing number and variety of pollutants is of great importance having a cause for concern, not only due to their harmful effects on the environment, but also because of risks to human health. Therefore, development of MIPs-based sensors and biosensors is a powerful detection strategy used for rapid and accurate detection of trace hazards in the environment. This chapter briefly introduces the preparation of MIPs and MIPs as recognition elements for sensors and biosensors. The recent research progress of MIPs-based sensors and biosensors in the detection of environmental pollutants is comprehensively reviewed. Finally, the challenges and prospect of MIPs-based sensors and biosensors are also provided.