MOLECULARLY IMPRINTED POLYMER SENSORS

1 . A system for the detection of one or more target molecules, the system comprising:

a molecularly imprinted polymer film wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer film comprises a polymer host with one or more binding sites for one or more target molecules, wherein the one or more target materials are non-polar;

a sensing material, and

wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer film is coated upon the sensing material.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a housing at least partially surrounding the molecularly imprinted polymer film and an air inlet into the housing.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more target molecules are selected from the group consisting of: benzene, benzene derivatives, and combinations thereof.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more target molecules are benzene.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing material indicates changes in resistance or capacitance upon detection of the one or more target molecules.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer film is a phase inversion film.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer film is synthesized using monomers and crosslinking agents.

8 . A method for detecting one or more target molecules, the method comprising:

providing a molecularly imprinted polymer film with one or more binding sites for detection of one or more target molecules, wherein the one or more target molecules are non-polar;

exposing said molecularly imprinted polymer film to a gas, air sample, or vapor; and

measuring a change of said molecularly imprinted polymer film, wherein said change is used to detect said one or more target molecules in said gas, air sample, or vapor.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more target molecules are benzene.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the change is a change is resistance or capacitance upon detection of the one or more target molecules.

11 . A method for producing a strain sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer film for detection of one or more target molecules, the method comprising:

dissolving a polymer host comprising a structural component and a reporting component in a first solvent to form a first solution;

mixing a target molecule into said first solution to form a molecularly imprinted polymer solution;

coating said molecularly imprinted polymer solution onto a sensing material; and

removing the target molecule to form a molecularly imprinted polymer film.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises spin coating.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the removing the target molecule comprises:

extracting the target molecule from the molecularly imprinted polymer film using a second solvent,

wherein the polymer host is insoluble in the second solvent, and

wherein the target molecule is soluble in said second solvent.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first solvent has a boiling point lower than the boiling point of the target molecule, and wherein the removing the target molecule comprises evaporating the target molecule from the molecularly imprinted polymer film.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the target molecule is selected from the group consisting of: benzene, benzene derivatives, and combinations thereof.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the target molecule is benzene.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer film is a phase inversion film.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the coating is spin coating.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the molecularly imprinted polymer film is synthesized using monomers and crosslinking agents.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the polymer host comprises monomer for the molecularly imprinted polymer film, and further adding a crosslinking agent.