Molecularly imprinted polymers as highly selective sorbents in sample preparation techniques and their applications in environmental water analysis

Recently, the importance of sample preparation methods has been increasing due to the fact that more complex experiments take place in the extraction and determination processes and the need for advanced results. Several sample preparation techniques, such as solid-phase extraction (SPE) and associated procedures, such as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE), provide analyte concentration, matrix effect elimination, sample media stabilization, and sample clean-up. To improve sample extraction efficiency, there is a need for suitable sorbents. Molecular imprinting technology and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are used to develop highly selective sorbents, thanks to their specially designed binding sites. Additionally, the high preferability of MIPs is related to their affordability, simplicity, and stability. MIPs-based sample preparation can be integrated with various methods and applied to numerous samples (environmental, biological, food, etc.). This review study overviews the latest applications and new trends in MIPs-based sample preparation in environmental water samples covering the last five years.