Application strategies conjunctive approaches

We believe that in the near future, the use of computational methods in conjunction with spectroscopic techniques and thermodynamic considerations should allow the in silico simulation to be used broadly for the analysis of the influence of polymerization conditions (solvent, cross-linker, temperature) on the performance of imprinted polymers, for optimization of the monomer composition and for tailoring polymer performance for specific applications. The computational approach described here represents a first step towards the truly rational design (tailoring) of MlPs and prediction of polymer properties. Nonetheless, improvements in our capacity to predict polymer performance should be benefited through the combination of molecular modeling, further physical characterization of the imprinting process, and combinatorial strategies (Chapter 8). 

Bottom-up strategies, which employ silicate precursors, such as tetraethoxysi-lane (TEOS), produce porous silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide is a much more chemically stable interface than silicon, and precludes some forms of surface functionalization, such as carbonization, which is used to tune particle properties. Additionally, bottom-up approaches are hmited to the production of either spherical or ellipsoid particles, unless used in conjunction with top-down lithography. Shape has been shown fundamentally to determine several properties of the particle that are relevant for drug deUvery, such as flow dynamics, margination, degradation rate and cell uptake [21, 22]. For these reasons, top-down approaches to the production of pSi for biomedical applications have been historically favored. 

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