Covalent imprinting/noncovalent binding approach

A scaffolding monomer having multi-interaction sites for the target molecule is a general approach that can utilize the principles of both covalent and noncovalent imprinting. Many cases have been described using scaffold multi-mers, which interact with the template via multiple binding interactions and subsequently cross-linked... 

The third item to consider in the development of an affinity technique is the way in which the ligand is attached to the solid support, or the immobilization method. There are many ways immobilization can be accomplished. These approaches include simple adsorption to a solid support, bioselective adsorption to a secondary ligand (e.g., the noncovalent binding of antibodies to immobilized protein A), entrapment, imprinting, and covalent attachment. 

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can be prepared according to a number of approaches that are different in the way the template is linked to the functional monomer and subsequently to the polymeric binding sites (Fig. 6-1). Thus, the template can be linked and subsequently recognized by virtually any combination of cleavable covalent bonds, metal ion co-ordination or noncovalent bonds. The first example of molecular imprinting of organic network polymers introduced by Wulff was based on a covalent attachment strategy i.e. covalent monomer-template, covalent polymer-template [12]. 

In 1972, this approach for molecular imprinting was modified when Gunter Wulff s research group developed a nonsiliceous cross-linked polymer synthesized around a template molecule. This route was also successfully followed by Shea and Thompson in 1978, who obtained a polymeric material with a predetermined spatial orientation of their functional moieties, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). Both these syntheses were carried out by covalently binding the template to the functional monomei followed by posterior polymerization of the derivatized monomer. Noncovalent approach for imprinted material synthesis was first carried out by Klaus Mosbach e a/, in 1988. This technique of imprinting... 

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