Technical Challenges of Molecular-Imprinting-Based Optical Sensors for Environmental Pollutants

Abstract

Combating environmental pollution constantly requires new affinity tools to selectively recognize and sensitively detect them. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are plastic antibodies that have exhibited great potential as recognition units in optical sensing platforms to monitor wide varieties of environmental pollutants, including ionic species, organic compounds, gases, and even manufactured nanoparticles. The construction, sensing strategies, and applications of molecular-imprinting-based optical sensors (MI-OSs) have been discussed in recent reviews, thus we deliberately set them aside. This Perspective elaborates on unanswered questions and main approaches being taken to address the challenges of MI-OS technologies, which have been less considered until now. Specifically, we highlight obscure technical aspects of MI-OS fabrication and validation that impact their practical applications and importantly offer conceivable solutions to related problems to bridge the research gap.

Greenificated Molecularly Imprinted Materials for Advanced Applications

“…[ 157 ] In addition, the discharge of hazardous compounds into water systems has led to significant environmental threats. Currently, almost all environmental matrices are a harbor of environmental pollution, even in the Polar regions, [ 158 ] thereby highlighting the severity of this worldwide issue. Due to the enormous need for environmental remediation to address the problems created by anthropogenic activities, lifestyle changes are required in the human population, such as limiting the degree of material consumption and reducing power consumption.…”

Molecularly Imprinted Ratiometric Fluorescence Nanosensors

“…The future of green MIT is worth looking forward to. Technical challenges of molecular-imprinting-based optical sensors for environmental pollutants are proposed by Arabi and Chen . Moreover, green aspects of a MIR-FL nanosensor are expected, according to our proposed GREENIFICATION concept .…”

“…Technical challenges of molecular-imprinting-based optical sensors for environmental pollutants are proposed by Arabi and Chen. 35 Moreover, green aspects of a MIR-FL nanosensor are expected, according to our proposed GREEN-IFICATION concept. 36 New fluorescent materials can be developed that balance photoluminescence, economy, and environmental protection.…”

A Potentiometric Sensor for the Determination of Pb(II) Ions in Different Environmental Samples

“…Since these methods require a qualified personnel and specific and sensitive analytical instruments, and they are also expensive, laborious and time consuming, they are not quite suitable for the on‐site analysis. Recently, there has been a great interest in designing sensor platforms for rapid, low‐cost and on‐site detection of different analytes [23–26] . Ion‐selective electrodes provide important alternatives to these methods with many advantages and on‐site analysis possibilities [27–29] …”

“…Recently, there has been a great interest in designing sensor platforms for rapid, low-cost and on-site detection of different analytes. [23][24][25][26] Ion-selective electrodes provide important alternatives to these methods with many advantages and on-site analysis possibilities. [27][28][29] Ionophores, which interact directly with the analyte ion, are the most important components of these ISEs.…”