Synthetic receptors as sensor coatings for molecules and living cells

Non-covalent molecularly imprinted polymers are applied as sensitive coatin gs to planar waveguides and mass-sensitive devices for the selective detect ion of various groups of analytes in the gaseous and aqueous phases. Cavity imprinting in the bulk of the sensor material as well as surface imprintin g techniques are used to enrich analytes ranging from sub-nanometres to mic rometres in analyte size. The coated devices provide sensitivity to e.g. po lycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, xanthine derivatives, complex coffee sample s and whole microorganisms.