2022/06/23 by Abbas Ostovan, Maryam Arabi, Yunqing Wang +4
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · Materials Science · #Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques #Analytical chemistry methods development #Polymer Surface Interaction Studies
paper · doi:10.1002/adma.202203154
openalex publication_date 2022/06/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Molecular imprinting technology (MIT) produces artificial binding sites with precise complementarity to substrates and thereby is capable of exquisite molecular recognition. Over five decades of evolution, it is predicted that the resulting host imprinted materials will overtake natural receptors for research and application purposes, but in practice, this has not yet been realized due to the unsustainability of their life cycles (i.e., precursors, creation, use, recycling, and end-of-life). To address this issue, greenificated molecularly imprinted polymers (GMIPs) are a new class of plastic antibodies that have approached sustainability by following one or more of the greenification principles, while also demonstrating more far-reaching applications compared to their natural counterparts. In this review, the most recent developments in the delicate design and advanced application of GMIPs in six fast-growing and emerging fields are surveyed, namely biomedicine/therapy, catalysis, energy harvesting/storage, nanoparticle detection, gas sensing/adsorption, and environmental remediation. In addition, their distinct features are highlighted, and the optimal means to utilize these features for attaining incredibly far-reaching applications are discussed. Importantly, the obscure technical challenges of the greenificated MIT are revealed, and conceivable solutions are offered. Lastly, several perspectives on future research directions are proposed.