title: Molecularly imprinted polymers as recognition materials for electronic tongues.
abstract: For over three decades now, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have successfully been used for selective chemical sensing because the shape and size of their imprinted molecular cavities perfectly matched those of the target analyte molecules. Moreover, orientation of recognizing sites of these cavities corresponded to those of the binding sites of the template molecules. In contrast, electronic tongue (e-tongue) is usually an array of low-affinity recognition units. Its selectivity is based on recognition pattern or multivariate analysis. Merging these two sensing devices led to a synergetic hybrid sensor, an MIP based e-tongue. Fabrication of these e-tongues permitted simultaneous sensing and discriminating several analytes in complex solutions of many components so that these arrays compensated for limitation in cross-reactivity of MIPs. Apparently, analytical signals generated by MIP-based e-tongues, compared to those of ordinary sensor arrays, were more reliable where a unique pattern or 'fingerprint' for each analyte was generated. Additionally, several transduction platforms (from spectroscopic to electrochemical) engaged in constructing MIP-based e-tongues, found their broad and flexible applications. The present review critically evaluates achievements in recent developments of the MIP based e-tongues for chemosensing.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS), Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Israel Institute of Technology (Technion), Haifa 320003, Israel. Electronic address: thuynh@ichf.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Tan-Phat
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Huynh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS), Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, School of Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Woycickiego 1/3, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: wkutner@ichf.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Wlodzimierz
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kutner
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004581:Electronics; D006801:Humans; D054802:Molecular Imprinting / Q000379:methods*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers
keywords: Chemosensor; Electronic tongue; MIP; Molecularly imprinted polymer; Sensor array