Principles of non-covalent imprinting for sensors

Conventional host-guest chemistry with supramolecular hosts depends on time-consuming and often sophisticated synthesis. This strategy leads to highly selective devices [23]. The effort involved in this synthesis, however, does not often lead to proper results concerning the sensor response. 

The tailored arrangement in non-covalent imprints is achieved by polymerisation in the presence of the template (analyte). The self-assembling process with non-covalent imprinting is performed mainly via hydrogen bonds and weaker forces, such as van der Waals interactions, which leads to binding sites with more heterogeneous affinities when compared to covalent imprints. The incorporated 

Non-covalent molecularly imprinted sensors for complex mixtures 

Most often, extremely robust coatings are achieved under room temperature conditions overnight. 

Normally, the template can be completely removed in the case of thin coatings by extensive dissolution and the porous MIP structure inhibits template inclusion. Evaporation of the templates is preferred in the case of adequate volatility. The dissolution or evaporation of the templates is best observed spectroscopically. 

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