**5. Conclusions**

This minireview is focused on the application of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). DESs have been designed as an environmentally friendly option for the preparation of MIPs and MMIPs, since these solvents can improve the affinity and selectivity of polymers to a target substance. The actual research showed some innovative approaches in DES-MIPs, or DES-MMIPs preparations and utilization. The applications of DES in the production of MIPs are either as a medium or solvent, as functional monomers, as MIPs modifiers, or as MIPs templates in the processes of extraction, separation or purification technologies. In the production of MIPs, the employment of DESs is based on their use as functional monomers, MIPs modifiers, and MIPs templates, as well as in extraction, separation or purification procedures.

Even though the role of DESs in molecularly imprinted technology is still largely unexplored, a rapid increase in research and the implementation of results can be expected. In particular, the use of these solvents in the production of MIPs can—to a considerable extent—expand their use as a new breakthrough technology in greener separation and analytical techniques.

**Author Contributions:** M.J., K.H. and J.Š. contributed equally to the conceptualization and design of the work; writing—original draft preparation: M.J., J.Š., V.M., K.H., A.L.; writing—editing: M.J., J.Š., and K.H.; supervision and critical revision of the manuscript: M.J., J.Š.; project administration: M.J.; funding acquisition: M.J. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contracts Nos. APVV-15-0052, APVV-19-0185, APVV-19-0174 and VEGA 1/0403/19, VEGA 1/0412/20. This article was realized also thanks to the support for infrastructure equipment provided by the Operation Program Research and Development for the project "National Center for Research and Application of renewable energy sources" (ITMS 26240120016, ITMS 26240120028), for the project "Competence center for new materials, advanced technologies and energy" (ITMS 26240220073), and for the project "University science park STU Bratislava" (ITMS 26240220084), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Slovak Research and Development Agency and support for infrastructure equipment provided by the Operation Program Research and Development.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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