Recent Advances and Perspectives of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Fluorescent Sensors in Food and Environment Analysis

Abstract

Molecular imprinting technology (MIT), also known as molecular template technology, is a new technology involving material chemistry, polymer chemistry, biochemistry, and other multi-disciplinary approaches. This technology is used to realize the unique recognition ability of three-dimensional crosslinked polymers, called the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). MIPs demonstrate a wide range of applicability, good plasticity, stability, and high selectivity, and their internal recognition sites can be selectively combined with template molecules to achieve selective recognition. A molecularly imprinted fluorescence sensor (MIFs) incorporates fluorescent materials (fluorescein or fluorescent nanoparticles) into a molecularly imprinted polymer synthesis system and transforms the binding sites between target molecules and molecularly imprinted materials into readable fluorescence signals. This sensor demonstrates the advantages of high sensitivity and selectivity of fluorescence detection. Molecularly imprinted materials demonstrate considerable research significance and broad application prospects. They are a research hotspot in the field of food and environment safety sensing analysis. In this study, the progress in the construction and application of MIFs was reviewed with emphasis on the preparation principle, detection methods, and molecular recognition mechanism. The applications of MIFs in food and environment safety detection in recent years were summarized, and the research trends and development prospects of MIFs were discussed.

The Recent Advances of Fluorescent Sensors Based on Molecularly Imprinted Fluorescent Nanoparticles for Pharmaceutical Analysis

“…The recognition ability of the MIFN sensor was largely determined by the MIP, which was influenced by various factors [11][12][13][14][15] , such as template molecules, functional monomers, crosslinking agents, type and dosage of solvent, polymerization temperature and time, and initiation mode, etc. These factors should be optimized case by case.…”

“…Molecular imprinting technology, derived from the antigen-antibody theory in immunology, is well known for simulating the specific binding of antigen-antibody in nature, and adopted to prepare molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) which can specifically recognize template molecules or analogues [11] . Owing to their designability, specific recognition and wide practicability, MIPs are broadly used in sensors, chromatographic analysis, sample pretreatment and other fields [12][13][14] . Recently, the combination of MIP with fluorescent nanoparticles, i.e.…”

Naphthalimide‐Based Fluorescent Polymers for Molecular Detection

“…[ 48 ] The most widely exploited recognition moieties for these analytes are cyclam, calixarenes, cyclodextrins and crown ethers; however, other macrocyclic and non‐macrocyclic receptors were also investigated. [ 49,50 ] Despite this progress in the creation of single‐molecule sensors, examples of fluorescent polymer sensor materials utilizing 1,8‐naphthalimides as a fluorescent reporting unit for various cations and anions are still rare. [ 51–53 ] Considering the process of creating polymer‐based sensory materials, it is necessary to mention several important properties of naphthalimide, which are already actively used to create polymers.…”

UV-induced Zn:Cd/S quantum dots in-situ formed in the presence of thiols for sensitive and selective fluorescence detection of thiols

“…Molecular imprinting technology is an approach combining benefits provided by polymer chemistry, material chemistry, biochemistry, and other scientific areas. Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) is a three-dimensional cross-linked structure enabling unique recognition ability 1 . Compared to conventional recognition elements—antibodies, MIPs possess a much wider range of advantages including a good plasticity, a simple way of preparation, highly selective interactions with the analyte, and low costs.…”