## 3 Overview of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers as Catalysts and Support for Catalysts
### MIPs as Efficient Catalytic Supports  
Industrial chemical processes rely heavily on catalysis, driving continuous efforts to develop new catalysts and improve existing systems according to green chemistry principles: achieving high yield and selectivity under mild conditions, often minimizing or using environmentally friendly solvents [43; 50; 99]. MIPs serve as efficient catalytic supports that align with these goals. MIPs can be used to immobilize enzymes or other catalytic agents, facilitating catalyst separation and reuse, which is particularly useful in sustainable industrial applications [33; 98]. Furthermore, the use of MIPs as a catalytic support can be important for the degradation of pollutant molecules, enabling their use for water and wastewater treatment [84]. Pollutant removal from various matrices and their degradation are of increasing concern as emerging pollutants are discharged into water treatment plants and are only partially removed through adsorption and biochemical degradation; complete elimination and mineralization are not achieved with conventional WTPs because they are not designed for metabolite degradation [18; 100]. In this context, MIPs present a viable alternative due to their ability to selectively adsorb molecules of interest, which can then be further degraded by catalytic reactions, thereby playing a crucial role in water and wastewater treatment [101; 102; 103; 104]. These polymers are synthetic three-dimensional materials with specific pores and cavities created through molecular imprinting, which allows them to retain specific molecules. Furthermore, they can be synthesized using a template analyte to impart a specific shape, arrangement, orientation, and union sites, and after the template's removal, the cavities remain ready to be re-occupied by the analytes or similar compounds. MIPs offer several advantages, including reversible adsorption and desorption, thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability, low cost, and ease of preparation. [PERSON] [84] tested the use of TiO\({}_{2}\)-based MIPs as catalytic support for the oxidation and degradation of 4-nonylphenol \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l} \hline \hline
**MIP** & **Key Features** & **Application** & **References** \\ \hline Enzyme-Mimicking MIPs & -“Nanozymes” mimicking natural enzymes & Biosensors, environmental applications, peroxidase & [90; 91] \\  & -High efficiency in biochemical reactions & for pollutant degradation & \\ \hline MIP Photocatalysts & -Molecular recognition under light irradiation & Pollutant degradation and fine chemical synthesis & [92] \\  & -High reaction rates and specificity & -Pollutant degradation and fine chemical synthesis & [92] \\ \hline MIPs for Asymmetric & -Chiral cavities in the polymer matrix & Pharmaceutical compound & [93; 94] \\ Catalysis & -Synthesis of chiral compounds with high selectivity & production & [93; 94] \\ \hline MIPs in Green Chemistry & -Facilitation of reactions under mild conditions & Sustainable and environmentally friendly synthesis & [95] \\  & -Reduction in the use of harsh reagents & synthesis & \\ \hline MIPs in Industrial & -Sustainable methods & Large-scale catalysis and environmentally friendly synthesis pathways & [96; 97] \\ \hline Nanogels for Drug & -High versatility & Controlled drug delivery & [98] \\ Delivery & -Biomedical compatibility & systems & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: _Cont._compounds, aligning with green chemistry principles by reducing the need for hazardous reagents and conditions, thus enabling more sustainable chemical processes.