Fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymers: Design strategies and biomolecular sensing applications for healthcare monitoring

Abstract

Fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymers (FMIPs) have emerged as promising biomedical tools due to their high selectivity, stability, and tunable fluorescent properties. Their distinct combination of selective molecular recognition and sensitive optical signaling makes them appropriate for a variety of diagnostic and sensing applications especially for healthcare monitoring. This review summarizes recent advances in FMIPs synthesis strategies, focusing on innovative polymerization methods such as controlled/living radical polymerization and green synthesis approaches that address key challenges in reproducibility, scalability, and environmental sustainability. Advances in polymer design, functional monomer selection, and nanofabrication techniques have considerably increased FMIP sensitivity and specificity for critical biomolecular sensing applications. These smart materials contain extremely selective binding sites that resemble natural receptors, allowing for precise biomolecule detection in applications such as biosensing, bioimaging, and medication administration. The integration of modern fluorescence-based detection techniques improves their ability to monitor biological processes in real time with high precision. This comprehensive review also addresses the most challenges of FMIPs, such as largescale synthesis, biocompatibility, template removal and signal stability. Finally, future directions for developing FMIPs for personalized medicine and next-generation POC diagnostics are discussed.

Keywords: Molecularly imprinted polymers; biomedical applications; biosensors; clinical diagnosis; drug delivery; fluorescence; nanomedicine.