Molecular imprinting is a rapidly growing field with wide-ranging applications, especially in the area of sensor development, where the process leads to improved sensitivity, reliability, stability, and reproducibility in sensing materials. Molecularly Imprinted Sensors in Analytical Chemistry addresses the most recent advances and challenges relating to molecularly imprinted polymer sensors, and is the only book to compile this information in a single source. From fundamentals to applications, this material will be valuable to researchers working in sensing technologies for pharmaceutical separation and chemical analysis, environmental monitoring and protection, defense and security, and healthcare. - Provides a systematic introduction to the different types of MIP-based sensors and reviews the basic principles behind each type of sensor - Includes state-of-the-art methodology supported by comparisons and discussions from leading experts in the field - Covers all types of sensing modes (optical, electrochemical, thermal, acoustic, etc.), materials and platforms - Appeals to a multidisciplinary audience of scientists and graduate students in a wide variety of fields, including chemistry, biology, biomedical science and engineering, and materials science and engineering

This volume contains the proceedings of two symposia held at the 2002 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco. Molecular imprinting (MI) technology has attracted much attention and enjoyed tremendous development over the past decade. MI technology enables the preparation of materials with host sites that recognize specific guest molecules, analogous to the "lock-and-key" paradigm of antibodies and enzymes. Advantages of molecularly imprinted materials include: a degree of specificity approaching that of antibodies but with much greater temporal and thermal stability; rapid development because precise molecular design and chemical synthesis are unnecessary; and wide applicability because materials may be imprinted with almost any shape-persistent analyte of interest. Papers from Symposium M, "Molecularly Imprinted Materials, focus primarily on the fabrication of functional materials and devices based on MI materials. Studies are presented not only by experts in MI, but more importantly, by materials scientists integrating molecular imprinting with cutting-edge techniques in microfabrication and nanotechnology.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs): Commercialization Prospects guides the reader through the various steps in the conceptualization, design, preparation and innovative applications of molecularly imprinted polymers while also demystifying the challenges relating to commercialization. Sections cover molecularly imprinted polymers, design, modeling, compositions and material selection. Other sections describe novel methods and discuss the challenges relating to the use of molecularly imprinted polymers in specific application areas. The final chapters of the book explore the current situation in terms of patents and commercialized materials based on MIPs, as well as prospects and possible opportunities. This is a valuable resource for all those with an interest in the development, application, and commercialization of molecularly imprinted polymers, including researchers and advanced students in polymer science, polymer chemistry, nanotechnology, materials science, chemical engineering, and biomedicine, as well as engineers, scientists and R&D professionals with an interest in MIPs for advanced applications. - Covers all stages of molecular imprinting, from conceptualization, modeling, and solvent choice, to extraction, monomer composition and miniaturization - Offers a unique focus on commercialization, examining the current situation and addressing barriers to further commercialization - Includes state-of-the-art, novel approaches for the utilization of biopolymers and their nanoparticles as imprinting matrixes and numerical calculations in the design of MIPs

This symposium proceeding contains papers presented at Symposium M, "Molecularly Imprinted Materials," and Symposium O, "Chemical and Biological Sensors - Materials and Devices," held April 2-5 at the 2002 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, California. Symposium M was the first of its kind at a Materials Research Society Meeting. The symposium consisted of 17 talks and 15 posters and brought together a number of scientists in the field to discuss the current state of the art in molecular imprinting. Topics included microfabrication, imprinted membranes, and nanoparticles, covalent and non-covalent methods of molecular imprinting, separate technology, and sensor applications. Symposium O contained 45 presentations that covered topics that included microfluidics and sensing systems, sensor arrays and devices, sensing with nanoparticles, monolayers, bilayers, cells, and silicon.

Molecular Imprinted Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterisation and Applications covers the design of composite materials containing nanostructures and molecular imprinted polymers that has materialized the ever-sought out vision of homogeneous molecular imprinted polymers. The inherent high surface-to-volume ratio of nanostructures has served well in increasing the surface area of conventional bulk polymers. In recent decades, molecularly imprinted polymer nanocomposite materials have attracted much attention for their potential applications in the fields of separation science, sensing, drug delivery, waste water treatment and catalysis, hence this book provides a much needed update on progress. - Includes information on molecular imprinted polymer composites and their potential for commercialization - Discusses their synthesis, characterization and applications - Analyzes the effect of incorporation of different nanostructures on the thermodynamic, kinetic and adsorption behavior of imprinted sorbents

Molecular imprinting focuses on the fabrication of an artificial receptor with perfect molecular recognition abilities. It has attracted a great deal of scientific attention because of the enormous opportunities it opens in the fields of separation, catalysis, and analysis. The advantages of the molecular imprinting enable to target a wide class of substances ranging from small molecules to big conglomerates, such as proteins or even cells. In recent years, sensor applications based on molecular imprinting have started to attract greater attention because of the easy creation of robust receptor sites with high specificity and sensitivity toward a target compound. A collection of contributions from distinguised experts, Handbook of Molecular Imprinting: Advanced Sensor Applications provides a comprehensive overview on the specific challenges of molecular imprinting in sensor applications. It covers various molecular imprinting approaches. As a result, a perspective of future device ensembles for sensing is acquired. The text lays particular emphasis on fundamental aspects as well as novel ideas in the context of sensor applications. It also highlights the operation principles of various sensor transducers that are generally employed in combination with molecular imprinting recognition elements.