Imprinted Polymers with Memory for Small Molecules, Proteins, or Crystals The author is grateful to Dr. Andrew Hall and Dr. Gunter Büchel for linguistic advice

Chiral molecular imprinting-based SERS detection strategy for absolute enantiomeric discrimination

Chiral discrimination is critical in environmental and life sciences. However, an ideal chiral discrimination strategy has not yet been developed because of the inevitable nonspecific binding entity of wrong enantiomers or insufficient intrinsic optical activities of chiral molecules. Here, we propose an "inspector" recognition mechanism (IRM), which is implemented on a chiral imprinted polydopamine (PDA) layer coated on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tag layer. The IRM works based on the permeability change of the imprinted PDA after the chiral recognition and scrutiny of the permeability by an inspector molecule. Good enantiomer can specifically recognize and fully fill the chiral imprinted cavities, whereas the wrong cannot. Then a linear shape aminothiol molecule, as an inspector of the recognition status is introduced, which can only percolate through the vacant and nonspecifically occupied cavities, inducing the SERS signal to decrease. Accordingly, chirality information exclusively stems from good enantiomer specific binding, while nonspecific recognition of wrong enantiomer is curbed. The IRM benefits from sensitivity and versatility, enabling absolute discrimination of a wide variety of chiral molecules regardless of size, functional groups, polarities, optical activities, Raman scattering, and the number of chiral centers.

Biosensors for Klebsiella pneumoniae with Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) Technique

Nosocomial infection is one of the most important problems that occurs in hospitals, as it directly affects susceptible patients or patients with immune deficiency. Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is the most common cause of nosocomial infections in hospitals. K. pneumoniae can cause various diseases such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicemias, and soft tissue infections, and it has also become highly resistant to antibiotics. The principal routes for the transmission of K. pneumoniae are via the gastrointestinal tract and the hands of hospital personnel via healthcare workers, patients, hospital equipment, and interventional procedures. These bacteria can spread rapidly in the hospital environment and tend to cause nosocomial outbreaks. In this research, we developed a MIP-based electrochemical biosensor to detect K. pneumoniae. Quantitative detection was performed using an electrochemical technique to measure the changes in electrical signals in different concentrations of K. pneumoniae ranging from 10 to 10⁵ CFU/mL. Our MIP-based K. pneumoniae sensor was found to achieve a high linear response, with an R² value of 0.9919. A sensitivity test was also performed on bacteria with a similar structure to that of K. pneumoniae. The sensitivity results show that the MIP-based K. pneumoniae biosensor with a gold electrode was the most sensitive, with a 7.51 (% relative current/log concentration) when compared with the MIP sensor applied with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis, where the sensitivity was 2.634 and 2.226, respectively. Our sensor was also able to achieve a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.012 CFU/mL and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 1.61 CFU/mL.

Efficient Screening of Glycan-Specific Aptamers Using a Glycosylated Peptide as a Scaffold

Abnormal glycan structures are valuable biomarkers for disease states; the development of glycan-specific binders is thereby significantly important. However, the structural homology and weak immunogenicity of glycans pose major hurdles in the evolution of antibodies, while the poor availability of complex glycans also has extremely hindered the selection of anti-glycan aptamers. Herein, we present a new approach to efficiently screen aptamers toward specific glycans with a complex structure, using a glycosylated peptide as a scaffold. In this method, using peptide-imprinted magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as a versatile platform, a glycopeptide tryptically digested from a native glycoprotein was selectively entrapped for positive selection, while a nonglycosylated analogue with an identical peptide sequence was synthesized for negative selection. Alternating positive and negative selection steps were carried out to guide the directed evolution of glycan-binding aptamers. As proof of the principle, the biantennary digalactosylated disialylated N-glycan A2G2S2, against which there have been no antibodies and lectins so far, was employed as the target. With the glycoprotein transferrin as a source of target glycan, two satisfied anti-A2G2S2 aptamers were selected within seven rounds. Since A2G2S2 is upregulated in cancerous liver cells, carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-labeled aptamers were prepared as fluorescent imaging reagents, and successful differentiation of cancerous liver cells over normal liver cells was achieved, which demonstrated the application feasibility of the selected aptamers. This approach obviated a tedious glycan preparation process and allowed favorable expose of the intrinsic flexible conformation of natural glycans. Therefore, it holds great promise for developing glycan-specific aptamers for challenging applications such as cancer targeting.

Emerging functional materials based on chemically designed molecular recognition

The specific interactions responsible for molecular recognition play a crucial role in the fundamental functions of biological systems. Mimicking these interactions remains one of the overriding challenges for advances in both fundamental research in biochemistry and applications in material science. However, current molecular recognition systems based on host–guest supramolecular chemistry rely on familiar platforms (e.g., cyclodextrins, crown ethers, cucurbiturils, calixarenes, etc.) for orienting functionality. These platforms limit the opportunity for diversification of function, especially considering the vast demands in modern material science. Rational design of novel receptor-like systems for both biological and chemical recognition is important for the development of diverse functional materials. In this review, we focus on recent progress in chemically designed molecular recognition and their applications in material science. After a brief introduction to representative strategies, we describe selected advances in these emerging fields. The developed functional materials with dynamic properties including molecular assembly, enzyme-like and bio-recognition abilities are highlighted. We have also selected materials with dynamic properties in contract to traditional supramolecular host–guest systems. Finally, the current limitations and some future trends of these systems are discussed.

Microporous layered silicates: old but new microporous materials

The properties and applications of microporous layered silicates, having both intralayer micropores and interlayer spaces, are reviewed.

Chiral platinum-polypyrrole hybrid films as efficient enantioselective actuators

We report the synthesis of a hybrid bilayer, being composed of a free-standing conducting polymer film and a layer of mesoporous metal, encoded with chiral features. The resulting structure constitutes an enantioselective actuator, which can be electrochemically addressed in a wireless way. The controlled discriminatory deformation of the film allows an easy readout of chiral information.

Inhibition of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Growth by Blocking the HER2 Signaling Pathway with HER2-Glycan-Imprinted Nanoparticles

Blocking the HER2 signaling pathway has been an effective strategy in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. It mainly relies on the use of monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine-kinase inhibitors. Herein, we present a new strategy, the nano molecularly imprinted polymer (nanoMIP). The nanoMIPs, imprinted using HER2 N-glycans, could bind almost all HER2 glycans and suppress the dimerization of HER2 with other HER family members, blocking the downstream signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting HER2+ breast cancer growth. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the nanoMIPs specifically targeted HER2+ cells and inhibited cell proliferation by 30 %. In vivo experiments indicated that the mean tumor volume of the nanoMIP-treated group was only about half of that of the non-treated groups. This study provides not only a new possibility to treat of HER2+ breast cancer but also new evidence to boost further development of nanoMIPs for cancer therapy.

Molecular Imprinting with Functional DNA

Molecular imprinting refers to templated polymerization with rationally designed monomers, and this is a general method to prepare stable and cost-effective ligands. This attractive concept however suffers from low affinity, low specificity, and limited signaling mechanisms for binding. Acrydite-modified DNA oligonucleotides can be readily copolymerized into acrylic polymers. With molecular recognition and catalytic functions, such functional DNAs are recently shown to enhance the performance of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in a few ways. First, DNA aptamers are used as macromonomers to enhance binding affinity and specificity of MIPs. Second, DNA can help produce optical signals to follow binding events. Third, imprinting can also improve the performance of catalytic DNA by enhancing its activity and specificity toward the template substrate. Finally, MIP is shown to help aptamer selection. Bulk imprinting, nanoparticle imprinting, and surface imprinting are all demonstrated with DNA. Since both DNA and synthetic polymers are cost effective and stable, their hybrid materials still possess such properties while enhancing the function of each component. This review covers recent developments on the abovementioned aspects of DNA-containing MIPs, a field just emerged in the last five years, and future research directions are discussed toward the end.

Preparation of Monodisperse Enrofloxacin Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Microspheres and Their Recognition Characteristics

This study presents a new strategy for the detection of enrofloxacin (ENR) in food samples by the use of monodisperse ENR molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). Using enrofloxacin as template molecule, methacrylic acid as functional monomer, and ethylene diglycidyl ether as cross-linker, surface molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were prepared on the surface of polymeric glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (P_GMA-EDMA) microspheres. The surface morphology and imprinting behavior of P_GMA-EDMA@MIPs were investigated and optimized. Synthesized P_GMA-EDMA@MIPs showed good physical and chemical stability and specific recognition toward fluoroquinolones. The introduction of P_GMA-EDMA microspheres greatly increased the adsorption area of P_GMA-EDMA@MIPs and increased the adsorption capacity of target molecules. The core shell structure increased the adsorption rate, and adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 6 min, much higher than that of MIPs synthesized by traditional methods. Enrofloxacin in milk samples was detected by molecular imprinting solid phase extraction (MISPE) combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Implementing this method resulted in a recovery rate of 94.6~109.6% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 3.2%. The limit of detection (LOD) of this method was identified as three times the signal-to-noise ratio (10 μg/L). In summary, this work proposed a sensitive, rapid, and convenient method for the determination of trace ENR in food samples.

New Titanium Dioxide-Based Heterojunction Nanohybrid for Highly Selective Photoelectrochemical-Electrochemical Dual-Mode Sensors

A new titanium dioxide (TiO₂)-based heterojunction nanohybrid (HJNH) composed of TiO₂, graphene (G), poly[3-aminophenylboronic acid] (PAPBA), and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) was synthesized and designated as TiO₂(G) NW@PAPBA-Au HJNH. The TiO₂(G) NW@PAPBA-Au HJNH possesses dual-mode signal photoelectrochemical (PEC) and electrochemical transduction capabilities to sense glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) independently. The synthesis of the HJNH material involved two sequential stages: (i) simple electrospinning synthesis of G-embedded TiO₂ nanowires [TiO₂(G) NWs] and (ii) one-step synthesis of Au NP-dispersed PAPBA nanocomposite (NC) in the presence of TiO₂(G) NWs. The as-synthesized TiO₂(G) NW@PAPBA-Au HJNH was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, field emission transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. A PEC platform was developed with TiO₂(G) NW@PAPBA-Au HJNH for the selective detection of glucose without any enzyme auxiliary. The PEC glucose sensor presents an acceptable linear range (from 0.5 to 28 mM), good sensitivity (549.58 μA mM^-1 cm^-2), and low detection limit (0.11 mM), which are suited for diabetes glucose monitoring. Besides, the boronic acid groups in PAPBA were utilized as a host to capture HbA1c. We fabricated the electrochemical HbA1c sensor based on monitoring the electrocatalytic reduction current of hydrogen peroxide produced by HbA1c tethered to the sensor probe. The amperometric electrochemical sensor for HbA1c exhibited linear responses to HbA1c levels from 2.0 to 10% (with a detection limit of 0.17%). Notably, the performances of the fabricated glucose and HbA1c sensors are superior in the dual-signal transduction modes as compared to the literature, suggesting the significance of the newly designed bifunctional TiO₂(G) NW@PAPBA-Au HJNH.

Fast probing of glucose and fructose in plant tissues via plasmonic affinity sandwich assay with molecularly-imprinted extraction microprobes

Determination of specific target compounds in agriculture food and natural plant products is essential for many purposes; however, it is often challenging due to the complexity of the sample matrices. Herein we present a new approach called plasmonic affinity sandwich assay for the facile and rapid probing of glucose and fructose in plant tissues. The approach mainly relies on molecularly imprinted plasmonic extraction microprobes, which were prepared on gold-coated acupuncture needles via boronate affinity controllable oriented surface imprinting with the target monosaccharide as the template molecules. An extraction microprobe was inserted into plant tissues under investigation, which allowed for the specific extraction of glucose or fructose from the tissues. The glucose or fructose molecules extracted on the microprobe were labeled with boronic acid-functionalized Raman-active silver nanoparticles, and thus affinity sandwich complexes were formed on the microprobes. After excess Raman nanotags were washed away, the microprobe was subjected to Raman detection. Upon being irradiated with a laser beam, surface plasmon on the gold-coated microprobes was generated, which further produced plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering of the silver-based nanotags and thereby provided sensitive detection. Apple fruits, which contain abundant glucose and fructose, were used as a model of plant tissues. The approach exhibited high specificity, good sensitivity (limit of detection, 1 μg mL^-1), and fast speed (the whole procedure required only 20 min). The spatial distribution profiles of glucose and fructose within an apple were investigated by the developed approach.

Imprinted micelles for chiral recognition in water: shape, depth, and number of recognition sites

Chiral molecular recognition is important to biology, separation, and asymmetric catalysis. Because there is no direct correlation between the chiralities of the host and the guest, it is difficult to design a molecular receptor for a chiral guest in a rational manner. By cross-linking surfactant micelles containing chiral template molecules, we obtained chiral nanoparticle receptors for a number of 4-hydroxyproline derivatives. Molecular imprinting allowed us to transfer the chiral information directly from the guest to host, making the molecular recognition between the two highly predictable. Hydrophobic interactions between the host and the guest contributed strongly to the enantio- and diastereoselective differentiation of these compounds in water, whereas ion-pair interactions, which happened near the surface of the micelle, were less discriminating. The chiral recognition could be modulated by tuning the size and shape of the binding pockets.

Molecularly Imprinted Biodegradable Nanoparticles

Biodegradable polymer nanoparticles are promising carriers for targeted drug delivery in nanomedicine applications. Molecu- lar imprinting is a potential strategy to target polymer nanoparticles through binding of endogenous ligands that may promote recognition and active transport into specific cells and tissues. However, the lock-and-key mechanism of molecular imprinting requires relatively rigid cross-linked structures, unlike those of many biodegradable polymers. To date, no fully biodegradable molecularly imprinted particles have been reported in the literature. This paper reports the synthesis of a novel molecularly- imprinted nanocarrier, based on poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and acrylic acid, that combines biodegradability and molec- ular recognition properties. A novel three-arm biodegradable cross-linker was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and lactide initiated by glycerol. The resulting macromer was functionalized by introduction of end-functions through reaction with acryloyl chloride. Macromer and acrylic acid were used for the synthesis of narrowly-dispersed nanoparticles by radical polymerization in diluted conditions in the presence of biotin as template molecule. The binding capacity of the imprinted nanoparticles towards biotin and biotinylated bovine serum albumin was twentyfold that of non-imprinted nanoparti- cles. Degradation rates and functional performances were assessed in in vitro tests and cell cultures, demonstrating effective biotin-mediated cell internalization.

Water-Soluble Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticle Receptors with Hydrogen-Bond-Assisted Hydrophobic Binding

Molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (MINPs) were prepared when surfactants with a tripropargylammonium headgroup and a methacrylate-functionalized hydrophobic tail were cross-linked in the micelle form on the surface and in the core in the presence of hydrophobic template molecules. With the surfactants containing an amide bond near the headgroup, the MINPs had a layer of hydrogen-bonding groups in the interior that strongly influenced their molecular recognition. Templates/guests with strong hydrogen-bonding groups in the midsection of the molecule benefited most, especially if the hydrophobe of the template could penetrate the amide layer to reach the hydrophobic core of the cross-linked micelles. The location and the orientation of the hydrophilic groups were also important, as they determined how the template interacted with the surfactant micelles and, ultimately, with the MINP receptors.

Molecularly Responsive Binding through Co-occupation of Binding Space: A Lock-Key Story

When two guest molecules co-occupy a binding pocket of a water-soluble host, the first guest could be used as a signal molecule to turn on the binding of the second. This type of molecularly responsive binding strongly depends on the size of the two guests and the location of the signal molecule.

Targeting and Imaging of Cancer Cells via Monosaccharide-Imprinted Fluorescent Nanoparticles

The recognition of cancer cells is a key for cancer diagnosis and therapy, but the specificity highly relies on the use of biorecognition molecules particularly antibodies. Because biorecognition molecules suffer from some apparent disadvantages, such as hard to prepare and poor storage stability, novel alternatives that can overcome these disadvantages are highly important. Here we present monosaccharide-imprinted fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) for targeting and imaging of cancer cells. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) probe was fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) doped silica NPs with a shell imprinted with sialic acid, fucose or mannose as the template. The monosaccharide-imprinted NPs exhibited high specificity toward the target monosaccharides. As the template monosaccharides used are over-expressed on cancer cells, these monosaccharide-imprinted NPs allowed for specific targeting cancer cells over normal cells. Fluorescence imaging of human hepatoma carcinoma cells (HepG-2) over normal hepatic cells (L-02) and mammary cancer cells (MCF-7) over normal mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A) by these NPs was demonstrated. As the imprinting approach employed herein is generally applicable and highly efficient, monosaccharide-imprinted NPs can be promising probes for targeting cancer cells.

Molecularly Imprinted TiO2/WO3-Coated Magnetic Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Degradation of 4-Nitrophenol Under Visible Light

In this paper, a molecularly imprinted TiO2/WO3-coated magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposite was developed for photocatalytic degradation. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were first prepared by a traditional co-precipitation method, and then a SiO2 shell was grown on the surface of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Finally, a 4-nitrophenol imprinted TiO2/WO3 coating was obtained on the surface of the Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposite via a sol-gel method and subsequent calcination. The new composite was characterised by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM (HRTEM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). In addition, the adsorption ability and photocatalytic activity of the composite were investigated. Results showed that the imprinted composite had higher adsorption ability for the template than the non-imprinted composite. The imprinted catalyst could degrade 4-nitrophenol under visible light with a first-order reaction rate of 0.1039 h–1, which was ~2.5 times that of the non-imprinted catalyst. The new imprinted catalyst showed good catalytic selectivity, an ease of being recycled by an external magnetic field, good reusability, no need for additional chemicals, and allows the possibility of utilising solar light as energy resource. Therefore, the catalyst can be potentially applied for ‘green’, low-cost and effective degradation of 4-nitrophenol in real wastewater.

Surface molecular engineering in the confined space of templated porous silica

Recent developments in molecular surface engineering inside the confined space of porous materials are surveyed including a new nomenclature proposal.

Molecularly imprinted hollow sphere array for the sensing of proteins

Mono-dispersed molecularly imprinted hollow spheres (MIHSs) for hemoglobin (Hb) were prepared by employing silica nanospheres as the sacrificial templates. The obtained hollow spheres with uniform particle size of 360 nm in diameter were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The outstanding affinities of these MIHSs to the target protein were confirmed by adsorption experiment in aqueous solution. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 10 min while the binding capacity (Qmax ) of Hb was 8.84 µmol g(-1) at pH7.0. Furthermore, the MIHSs were successfully assembled into a closely-packed 3D colloidal array. The molecularly imprinted hollow sphere array (MIHSA) can selectively recognize Hb. As the concentration of Hb increased, the structure color of the MIHSA changed from blue to green, and turn to white finally with maximum red shift for 43 nm. The MIHSA showed promising potential for the naked-eye detection of target Hb. Reflection spectra of the MIHSA in response to different Hb concentrations (0.075-15 µmol L(-1) ).

A Critical Review on Clinical Application of Separation Techniques for Selective Recognition of Uracil and 5-Fluorouracil

The most important objectives that are frequently found in bio-analytical chemistry involve applying tools to relevant medical/biological problems and refining these applications. Developing a reliable sample preparation step, for the medical and biological fields is another primary objective in analytical chemistry, in order to extract and isolate the analytes of interest from complex biological matrices. Since, main inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) diagnosable through uracil analysis and the therapeutic monitoring of toxic 5-fluoruracil (an important anti-cancerous drug) in dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficient patients, require an ultra-sensitive, reproducible, selective, and accurate analytical techniques for their measurements. Therefore, keeping in view, the diagnostic value of uracil and 5-fluoruracil measurements, this article refines several analytical techniques involved in selective recognition and quantification of uracil and 5-fluoruracil from biological and pharmaceutical samples. The prospective study revealed that implementation of molecularly imprinted polymer as a solid-phase material for sample preparation and preconcentration of uracil and 5-fluoruracil had proven to be effective as it could obviates problems related to tedious separation techniques, owing to protein binding and drastic interferences, from the complex matrices in real samples such as blood plasma, serum samples.

A triple-function zwitterion for preparing water compatible diclofenac imprinted polymers

A novel zwitterion acting as both a functional monomer and a crosslinker with the protein-resistant ability concomitantly was synthesized for preparing water compatible diclofenac imprinted polymers. This new imprinted polymer showed high imprinting efficiency for template and strong anti-protein adsorption in aqueous medium.

Water-Soluble Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticles (MINPs) with Tailored, Functionalized, Modifiable Binding Pockets

Construction of receptors with binding sites of specific size, shape, and functional groups is important to both chemistry and biology. Covalent imprinting of a photocleavable template within surface-core doubly cross-linked micelles yielded carboxylic acid-containing hydrophobic pockets within the water-soluble molecularly imprinted nanoparticles. The functionalized binding pockets were characterized by their binding of amine- and acid-functionalized guests under different pH values. The nanoparticles, on average, contained one binding site per particle and displayed highly selective binding among structural analogues. The binding sites could be modified further by covalent chemistry to modulate their binding properties.

Efficient synthesis of narrowly dispersed hydrophilic and magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres with excellent molecular recognition ability in a real biological sample

A facile and highly efficient approach to obtain uniform hydrophilic and magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres with excellent molecular recognition ability in a real biological sample is described.

Efficient Synthesis of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers with Enzyme Inhibition Potency by the Controlled Surface Imprinting Approach

A facile, general, and highly efficient approach to prepare uniform core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) particles with enzyme inhibition potency is described for the first time, which involves the combined use of molecular imprinting and controlled/"living" radical polymerization (CRP) techniques as well as surface-anchoring strategy. The thickness of the enzyme-imprinted surface layers of the core-shell MIP microspheres had a significant influence on their binding properties, and only those with their thickness comparable with the diameters of the targeted enzymes could afford enzyme-MIPs with optimal specific bindings. The as-prepared enzyme-MIPs were found to have homogeneous binding sites and high template binding capacities, affinity, and selectivity, and they proved to show much higher enzyme inhibition potency than the small inhibitor by 3 orders of magnitude (i.e., the enzyme inhibition constant of every binding site of the MIP microspheres was about one-thousandth of that of the small inhibitor), mainly due to the formation of strong long-range secondary interactions between enzymes and imprinted pockets. In addition, the general applicability of our strategy was confirmed.