The "Lock-and-Key" Advantage: Molecularly Imprinted Polymers in Modern Electrophoresis in Drug Assay

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have gained increasing attention as synthetic recognition materials that mimic biological binding sites while offering greater stability and lower cost. In recent years, their combination with electrophoretic techniques has opened new possibilities for improving selectivity and sensitivity in drug analysis. This review summarizes the fundamental concepts behind MIP formation, including template-monomer interactions, imprinting strategies, and common polymerization approaches such as bulk, surface, and nano-imprinting. The integration of MIPs with capillary electrophoresis (CE), capillary electrochromatography, and microfluidic platforms is critically discussed, with particular emphasis on how these hybrid systems enhance separation performance and analytical reliability. Their applications are highlighted across pharmaceutical quality control, clinical drug monitoring, forensic toxicology, and environmental residue detection. Recent progress in nanostructured MIPs and lab-on-a-chip systems is also covered, showing improved binding kinetics and potential for miniaturized analysis. Despite these advances, challenges such as template leakage, reproducibility issues, and matrix effects still limit wider adoption. Overall, this review emphasizes the growing role of MIP-electrophoresis platforms as promising tools for next-generation drug analysis.