Molecular Imprinting in Sensing and Separation Technologies

Molecular imprinting is a versatile approach for creating synthetic recognition sites within polymer matrices that are complementary in shape, size and functionality to a target molecule. By polymerising functional monomers around a template and subsequently removing the template, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) acquire high affinity and selectivity akin to natural receptors. In sensing applications, these tailored cavities can be integrated with electrochemical, optical or mass‐sensitive transducers to achieve rapid, label-free detection of small molecules, biological markers and environmental contaminants. Advances in surface imprinting and nano-MIP synthesis have enabled the fabrication of thin films, nanoparticles and membranes with enhanced binding kinetics and mass transport. In separation technologies, MIP-based stationary phases and membranes provide selective extraction and purification of enantiomers, pharmaceuticals and biomolecules, reducing reliance on costly bioreagents. Recent progress in conductive and stimuli-responsive MIPs allows real-time monitoring and controllable release, while innovative imprinting strategies—such as dummy templates and epitope imprinting—expand the applicability to non-fluorescent toxins and complex proteins. Overall, molecular imprinting bridges materials science and analytical chemistry to deliver robust, reusable and low-cost platforms with global impact in healthcare diagnostics, environmental monitoring and industrial separations.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated an indirect fluorescent sensing platform for non-fluorescent environmental toxins by immobilising a molecularly imprinted thin film on zinc ferrite nanoparticles, using a dummy fragment to create charge-transfer sites and enabling paper-based microfluidic detection of trace microcystin in under 20 minutes. Another breakthrough employs a chiral imprinted polydopamine layer on a surface-enhanced Raman scattering tag, coupled with an “inspector” molecule to scrutinise cavity occupancy and achieve absolute enantiomeric discrimination across a wide range of chiral targets, overcoming nonspecific binding and intrinsic optical limitations.

Molecular Imprinting in Sensing and Separation Technologies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in molecular imprinting in sensing and separation technologies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Molecular imprinting: Technique to fabricate polymeric matrices with cavities complementary to a template molecule in size, shape and chemical functionality.

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP): Crosslinked polymer network formed in the presence of a template, yielding high-affinity binding sites after template removal.

Electropolymerization: Electrochemical method for in situ growth of polymer films on electrode surfaces, enabling precise control of film thickness and morphology.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS): Analytical technique that amplifies Raman signals using plasmonic substrates to detect low-concentration analytes.

Dummy template: Structural analogue of the target molecule used during imprinting to avoid template leaching and enhance selectivity for non-fluorescent or hazardous analytes.

References

1. A Point‐of‐Care Sensing Platform for Multiplexed Detection of Chronic Kidney Disease Biomarkers Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers. Advanced Functional Materials (2024).
2. Molecular imprinting-based indirect fluorescence detection strategy implemented on paper chip for non-fluorescent microcystin. Nature Communications (2023).
3. Chiral molecular imprinting-based SERS detection strategy for absolute enantiomeric discrimination. Nature Communications (2022).
4. Recent Advances in Electrosynthesized Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Sensing Platforms for Bioanalyte Detection. Sensors (2019).
5. MIPs for commercial application in low-cost sensors and assays – An overview of the current status quo. Sensors and Actuators B Chemical (2020).