Molecularly Imprinted Polymers and Highly Porous Materials in Sensing Applications.

摘要

Biological sensing systems or biosensors have several characteristics that make them attractive models for military sensing systems. These include specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and the ability to detect a wide range of compounds. However, biosensors have limitations. These include sensitivity to extremes of temperature, pressure, or hydrogen ion concentration (pH), and many are incompatible with organic solvents. In some instances, there is a lack of a suitable biosensing material for a particular analyte, while in others cost and time to develop biosensors are excessive. Biomimetics or bioinspired approaches to sensors or sensor materials development attempt to reproduce the sensitivity and specificity of biosensors while eliminating or reducing some of their limitations. However, the challenges are in producing extremely pure receptors, incorporating them into a sensor, and in increasing the stability of these receptors. In this Technical Memorandum, several bioinspired approaches to the preparation of materials with applications to sensing systems are reviewed and discussed with respect to their strengths and limitations. Specifically, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), synthetic molecular sieves and high surface area, highly porous polymers based on polysilsesquioxanes are reviewed and their applicability to future defence applications discussed.