Photopolymerization and Photostructuring of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers

Over the past few decades, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have become extremely attractive materials for biomimetic molecular recognition due to their excellent affinity and specificity, combined with robustness, easy engineering, competitive costs. MIPs are synthetic antibody mimics obtained by synthesis of 3D polymer networks around template molecules, thus generating specific binding cavities. Numerous efforts been made improve performances versatility MIPs, a special focus on ways control size, morphology, physical form given application. Gaining over these parameters has allowed adopt defined micro- nanostructure, providing access nanocomposites micro/nanosystems, fine-tuned properties, which critical modern applications ranging from chemical sensing bioimaging medical therapy. In this rich complex context, light as cheap versatile source energy emerged powerful tool structuring MIPs. This review presents most recent advances at nano/microscale, using stimulus trigger polymerization process. Thus, after general introduction radical emphasis photopolymerization UV visible light, reader will be presented processes that inherently spatially confined, such localized lithographic techniques, supported representative examples complemented final outlook future trends in field.