A historical perspective and the development of molecular imprinting polymer- A review

Molecular imprinting is an emerging technology which enables us to synthesize the materials with highly specific receptor sites towards the target molecules. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are a class of highly cross-linked polymer that can bind certain target compound with high specificity. Such techniques have been progressively employed in a wide scope of applications such as development of various analytical techniques such as solid-phase extraction (SPE), liquid chromatography, capillary electro chromatography, binding assays and biosensors, mostly in bio-analytical areas. The aim of this review paper is to give a fundamental description of the molecular imprinted polymer and to give the reader an insight into the main developments are discussed, Particular emphasis will be placed on their role as affinity materials in separation science. Discussing first general aspects in MIP history and preparation and then dealing with various application aspects.