Molecular Imprinting Technology for Biomimetic Assemblies

Abstract

The term biomimetic can be simply defined as the examination of nature. The scientists inspired by the enormous diversity of nature to solve human problems or facilitate daily life by mimicking natural models, systems, and elements especially in the biomedical and therapeutic applications to make better drugs, artificial organs, sensing instruments, etc. Biological recognition elements like proteins, antibodies, enzymes, DNA, lectins, aptamers, cells, and viruses have been heavily used to ensure specificity in such applications in spite of their lack of stability and reusability. However, in the last two decades molecularly imprinted polymers, MIPs, have been synthesized as an alternative to mimic natural biological interactions for a broad spectrum of templates by means of coordinating functional monomers around template in the presence of cross-linker. This review will outline the broad contours of biomimetics prepared by molecular imprinting techniques and their practical applications in the separation techniques, tissue engineering applications, biomimetic surfaces, sensors, artificial membranes, and drug delivery systems.