Molecules Leave Their Mark

Imprinting technique creates plastic receptors that grab specific chemicals.

Like tiny locks, receptors in biology respond exclusively to the

An overall pattern of molecular imprints on a polymer sphere, 20 micrometers in diameter. Mosbach

The self-assembly method for making molecularly imprinted polymers is simple and versatile. First, polymer building blocks, or monomers, bind to target molecules (white) in solution (top left, right).