Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Based Sensors for Medical Applications

Abstract

Sensors have been extensively used owing to multiple advantages, including exceptional sensing performance, user-friendly operation, fast response, high sensitivity and specificity, portability, and real-time analysis. In recent years, efforts in sensor realm have expanded promptly, and it has already presented a broad range of applications in the fields of medical, pharmaceutical and environmental applications, food safety, and homeland security. In particular, molecularly imprinted polymer based sensors have created a fascinating horizon for surface modification techniques by forming specific recognition cavities for template molecules in the polymeric matrix. This method ensures a broad range of versatility to imprint a variety of biomolecules with different size, three dimensional structure, physical and chemical features. In contrast to complex and time-consuming laboratory surface modification methods, molecular imprinting offers a rapid, sensitive, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and highly selective approaches for sensing, and especially for the applications of diagnosis, screening, and theranostics. Due to its physical and chemical robustness, high stability, low-cost, and reusability features, molecularly imprinted polymer based sensors have become very attractive modalities for such applications with a sensitivity of minute structural changes in the structure of biomolecules. This review aims at discussing the principle of molecular imprinting method, the integration of molecularly imprinted polymers with sensing tools, the recent advances and strategies in molecular imprinting methodologies, their applications in medical, and future outlook on this concept.

Keywords: medical applications; medical sensors; molecular imprinting.

Figure 1

Scheme of the principle of molecularly imprinted polymer preparation.

Figure 2

The principle of molecular imprinting recognition. Republished with permission from [42]; permission conveyed through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

Figure 3

(a) Scheme of SPR sensor for human protein A detection and (b) fluorescence emission spectra with different dopamine concentration (A), the calibration curve (B). Republished with permission from [105,107]; permission conveyed through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

Figure 4

(a) Synthesis of quantum dots embedded imprinted membranes and (b) scanning electron microscope images of paper and quantum dots based ion-imprinted polymers: (A) the bare, (B) quantum dots grafted on the glass fiber, (C) quantum dots; (D) ion-imprinted polymer; (E) ion-imprinted polymer bonded with the quantum dots; (F) ion-imprinted polymer and quantum dots bound on the glass fiber. Republished with permission from [108,110]; permission conveyed through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

Figure 5

(a) Schematic representations of the virus-imprinted sensor and (b) glucose-imprinted sensor. Republished with permission from [115,116]; permission conveyed through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

Figure 6

(a) Myoglobin-imprinted sensor and (b) structure, photo and application of the microfluidic sensor. Republished with permission from [117,118]; permission conveyed through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

Figure 7

(a) Cyclic voltammetry curves (A) and Nyquist plots recorded for polymers (B) and (b) electron microscope image (A) and the size distribution (B), dark field electron image (C) and element mapping images of quantum dots (D-H). Republished with permission from [119,120]; permission conveyed through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

Figure 8

(a) Diagram for fabrication of the sensor and (b) differential pulse voltammograms (A) and Nyquist plots of creatinine solutions (B). Republished with permission from [118,119]; permission conveyed through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

Figure 9

(a) Production of imprinted polymer (A) and sensor (B); (b) scheme of the insulin-imprinted sensor preparation and (c) characterization results: zeta-size (A), scanning (B) and transmission electron microscope (C) images of cannabinoid-imprinted nanoparticles and atomic force microscope (D), ellipsometer (E) and contact angle images of cannabinoid-imprinted sensor (F). Republished with permission from [130,131,135]; permission conveyed through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.