3D-Printed Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: Advanced Molecular Recognition Interfaces for Chem/Bio Sensors

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are known for their stability and specificity serving as biomimetic molecular recognition motif in applications including but not limited to diagnostics, drug delivery, and environmental monitoring. Despite their straightforward synthesis and robustness, the commercial scale-up of MIPs remains challenging, in particular concerning homogeneity and reproducibility of the material and structure, which are both critical for practical applications. To overcome these challenges, we have developed an innovative strategy synergistically combining LCD-based 3D printing with MIP technology, which enables a yet unprecedented level of manufacturing precision and structural reproducibility. The integration of photo-curing-based 3D-printing with polymerization-induced phase separation constitutes a key advancement facilitating the scalable fabrication of complex macroscopic polymer structures. In addition, the inherent porosity of the material can be precisely controlled at the sub-micrometer level, while at the same time tuning the macro-porosity of the geometric structure via digital design. This hybridization of techniques marks a new era for MIPs facilitating the production of materials with precison-engineered properties that meet the demanding requirements of a wide variety of applications. Resulting, a robust and scalable approach has been developed that not only improves the reproducibility of MIPs, but also expands their applicability and promises a rapid transition from laboratory innovation to commercial reality. This process is particularly suitable for coating and structuring molecular chem/bio sensing architectures at the surface of electrodes, waveguides and other transducers establishing next-generation biomimetic sensing schemes. Figure 1