Holographic molecularly imprinted polymers for label-free chemical sensing

Holographic molecularly imprinted polymer films for the use in chemical sensors are obtained in one step through photopolymerization with interfering laser beams. This results in hierarchical structuring at four length scales: micrometer-scale patterning of millimeter- to centimeter- size polymer objects with holographic optical properties, exhibiting nanometer-scale porosity and specific molecular recognition properties at the molecular scale through self-assembly. Specific binding of the target analyte testosterone is measured by diffraction analysis.