Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Separation of Organic Compounds in Capillary Electrochromatography

Molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) are being developed as a powerful way to achieve molecular recognition via the template-directed synthesis which results in the formation of specific cavities complementary to the molecule in shape and chemical functionality. One of the most successful application areas of MIPs is chromatographic sorbents. The use of MIPs sorbents in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is attractive in that it combines predetermined selectivity, higher efficiency and shorter analysis time. CEC-based MIPs consume fewer templates or monomers for the molecular imprinting, which is desired for the need of green chemistry. The small dimensions of capillary demand the development of novel polymer formats which allow the application to miniaturized system. The review gives a full overview of CEC-based MIPs including the various formats, current trends in this field and application in the separation of organic compounds.