Molecularly imprinted polymers toward herbicides - Progress in development and the current state of the art depending on the polymerization environment - Short review

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are types of specific materials capable of recognizing and selecting compounds toward which they have been imprinted. This ability has made these materials increasingly popular in different areas e.g. for monitoring the content of harmful substances in various products, including water. In addition, many chemicals of various structures and applications are used as templates. The presented paper is a review that demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the molecularly imprinted polymers toward herbicides, with particular emphasis on the impact and needs to control their content, e.g. in plant parts, soils, or groundwater. This work focused especially on one of the newest herbicides used in large amounts, S-metolachlor, which is used in maize cultivation. It reviews the latest publications describing polymerizations in organic solvents and in water. Due to the much better solubility of pesticides in organic solvents, this type of polymerization is much more often described. However, due to the growing concern for the environment and the principles introduced in the so-called green chemistry, increasing emphasis should be placed on polymerization in an aqueous environment.