Chapter 16: Analytical Applications of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-decorated Magnetic Nanoparticles

Resumen

Nowadays, nanotechnology is increasingly proving to be a powerful tool for analytical applications achieving their goals and simplifying analytical processes. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been used in a wide range of fields because of their outstanding advantages including large surface area and simple separation using magnetic fields. Before using these MNPs, they require functionalization depending on the application. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic materials that mimic the biological, natural antibody–antigen affinity. Due to their characteristics such as easiness of preparation, good stability compared to natural antibodies and high selectivity, MIPs are widely used in many analytical fields. Therefore, the combination of MNPs and MIPs has opened new opportunities for separation, sensing, and quantitative analysis. In fact, this will be the focus of this chapter – the analytical applications of MIP-decorated MNPs. Indeed, we will describe, firstly, the preparation and functionalization of the MNPs with MIPs as well as their characterization. Moreover, the applications of these materials for solid-phase extraction will be presented. Furthermore, we will discuss the integration of MIP-decorated MNPs in sensing including electrochemical and optical sensors.