Advancements in Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Electrochemical Sensors: Fabrication, Functionalization, Applications, and Future Perspectives

MIPs are synthetic polymers with specific target binding sites created by the process of molecular imprinting. The process involves polymerization around a target molecule (template) which is embedded into a polymer matrix and subsequently removed, leaving behind molecular recognition sites whose internal cavity mirror the template’s size, shape and active functional groups, allowing only the template to fit and interact effectively. Electrochemical sensors have emerged as one of the most popular sensor types due to several advantages such as rapid response, accuracy, ease of use, high sensitivity, portability, on-site analysis, and economic features. The selectivity and specificity of electrochemical sensors can be further enhanced by integrating them with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). This enables them to distinguish between closely related substances in complex matrices making them useful for applications in fields like clinical diagnostics, disease monitoring, and food safety. For fabrication of MIP-based sensors, MIP layer can be directly synthesised on the surface of the electrode using techniques like electro-polymerization, or the MIP can be prepared separately and then deposited on the surface of the electrode. The detection can be carried out using different transduction methods such as amperometry, potentiometry, and impedimetry. This chapter critically reviews the recent advancements in MIP based electrochemical sensors covering fabrication of MIP along with electrochemical detection techniques. Further, the modification of MIP-based electrochemical sensors with diverse functional materials including nanomaterials, MOFs and ILs to improve the performance of MIP-based electrochemical sensors has also been discussed. Moreover, the applications of MIP-based electrochemical sensors in healthcare including clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical analysis and food safety have also been discussed citing examples from recent literature. The evaluation of the performance of these MIP-based electrochemical sensors in terms of performance parameters has also been carried out. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in the field of MIP-based electrochemical sensors are deliberated.