Recent advances in green reagents for molecularly imprinted polymers

Abstract

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are tailor-made materials with special binding sites. They have been extensively used in various areas because of its maturity. MIP is usually prepared by using a variety of “traditional” organic substances. In recent years, green reagents, such as room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs), have been increasingly used in the preparation of MIPs. These new green reagents are applied for various purposes, i.e. to reduce pollution, to lower the cost and to improve the performance of materials. The RTILs- and DESs-based MIPs have attracted more and more attention because of their superior performance and interesting properties. We hereby propose to review recent advances in the application of RTILs and DESs to MIPs. The current status and perspectives of RTILs- and DESs-based MIPs are discussed in this brief review.