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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
T. J. Gutiérrez (ed.), Reactive and Functional Polymers Volume Three,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50457-1_5
Chapter 5
Plastic Receptors Developed by Imprinting
Technology as Smart Polymers Imitating
Natural Behavior
Alberto Gómez-Caballero, Nora Unceta, M. Aránzazu Goicolea,
and Ramón J. Barrio
Abstract Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) have attracted considerable
attention as smart materials so far. They are known to be capable of imitating the
recognition event that happens biologically in living organisms and, in this light,
they have noteworthy been used as substitutes of natural receptors. Traditionally,
imprinted polymers have been developed by bulk free radical polymerization (FRP),
obtaining rigid polymers, which are lately ground to get fine particles. Bulk synthesis of imprinted polymers was substituted by other polymerization approaches in
order to overcome typical drawbacks associated with bulk MIPs. Recently, new
polymer syntheses have emerged such as solid phase imprinting which have allowed
for obtaining smart materials with higher affinity for the target ligand, achieving
binding affinities similar or even higher than natural receptors. Materials obtained
this way are known as plastic antibodies. This chapter focuses on recent advances
on imprinted polymers as potential substitutes of natural receptors, emphasizing on
new synthesis strategies and novel imprinted nanomaterials.
Keywords Molecularly imprinted polymers · Nanoparticles · Plastic antibodies ·
Smart materials
5.1 Introduction
The molecular recognition event is a fundamental biochemical process for the functions of living systems, and therefore, changes in this receptor-ligand interaction
lead to relevant modifications in cellular behaviors. The ability of biological hosts
A. Gómez-Caballero (*) · N. Unceta · M. A. Goicolea · R. J. Barrio
MetaboloMIPs Research Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry,
University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz (Alava), Spain
e-mail: a.gomez@ehu.eus
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
T. J. Gutiérrez (ed.), Reactive and Functional Polymers Volume Three,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50457-1_5
Chapter 5
Plastic Receptors Developed by Imprinting
Technology as Smart Polymers Imitating
Natural Behavior
Alberto Gómez-Caballero, Nora Unceta, M. Aránzazu Goicolea,
and Ramón J. Barrio
Abstract Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) have attracted considerable
attention as smart materials so far. They are known to be capable of imitating the
recognition event that happens biologically in living organisms and, in this light,
they have noteworthy been used as substitutes of natural receptors. Traditionally,
imprinted polymers have been developed by bulk free radical polymerization (FRP),
obtaining rigid polymers, which are lately ground to get fine particles. Bulk synthesis of imprinted polymers was substituted by other polymerization approaches in
order to overcome typical drawbacks associated with bulk MIPs. Recently, new
polymer syntheses have emerged such as solid phase imprinting which have allowed
for obtaining smart materials with higher affinity for the target ligand, achieving
binding affinities similar or even higher than natural receptors. Materials obtained
this way are known as plastic antibodies. This chapter focuses on recent advances
on imprinted polymers as potential substitutes of natural receptors, emphasizing on
new synthesis strategies and novel imprinted nanomaterials.
Keywords Molecularly imprinted polymers · Nanoparticles · Plastic antibodies ·
Smart materials
5.1 Introduction
The molecular recognition event is a fundamental biochemical process for the functions of living systems, and therefore, changes in this receptor-ligand interaction
lead to relevant modifications in cellular behaviors. The ability of biological hosts
A. Gómez-Caballero (*) · N. Unceta · M. A. Goicolea · R. J. Barrio
MetaboloMIPs Research Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry,
University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz (Alava), Spain
e-mail: a.gomez@ehu.eus