Synthesis in Molecular Imprinting of Polymers

Dear Colleagues,

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic macromolecular receptors formed by the copolymerisation of recognition and matrix-forming monomers in the presence of a template. Post-polymerisation removal of this template reveals binding cavities that are complementary to it in size, shape, and functional groups. These cavities may then be re-occupied by the template (or closely-related species), with the materials typically displaying high selectivity and specificity for the targeted species. These recognition properties, coupled with their robust nature and ease of synthesis, make MIPs attractive as selective sorbents in separation and sensing applications. As such, they continue to attract interest in a variety of sectors.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on research concentrating on the synthetic aspects of molecular imprinting. This includes the design of novel binding or cross-linking monomers, the use of template analogues to overcome synthesis problems, the use of advanced/controlled polymerisation techniques and the application of post-polymerisation treatments aimed at improving the performance of the imprinted material.

This volume provides a highly visible forum for high quality original research articles and critical reviews covering all aspects of the synthesis of MIPs.

Dr. Andrew J Hall
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Molecularly imprinted polymer/molecular imprinting
• Functional materials
• Biomimetic materials
• Monomer design
• Cross-linker design monomers
• Template analogue imprinting
• Polymerisation methods
• Controlled radical polymerisation