The synthesis of of novel polymeric structures, including polymers with exciting new architectures and properties, such as hyperbranched and dentritic polymers 1 or chiral polymers, is the focus of my research interests. Templates can be polymers or low molecular weight compounds as employed e.g. in the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymer networks.
Templates are ubiquitous in nature and essential in many biological processes.
DNA and enzymes are two prominent examples for such biological templates. Sometimes it is possible not only to remove the template in a subsequent step but also to recycle it. Especially when considering larger scale syntheses, the latter feature of the concept will become environmentally and economically important. I.R. Dunkin, Adv.