Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) in chemical analysis - A review

This review highlights the increasing interest in polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) in analytical chemistry as they are adapted to new and novel applications. PIMs are polymer-based liquid membranes and were first introduced 50 years ago as the sensing membranes in ion-selective electrodes and optodes. More recently however, PIMs have been used for other applications in analytical chemistry such as for sample separation, sample pre-concentration, electro-driven extraction, and passive sampling, and have also been incorporated into on-line and automated analysis systems. The present review provides a general overview of the analytical chemistry applications of PIMs reported in the literature to date and illustrates their versatility for solving challenging chemical analysis problems. [Display omitted] •Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) are a valuable tool in analytical chemistry.•Improved sensitivity and selectivity can be achieved when using PIM-based sensors.•Analyte extraction and back-extraction can be performed simultaneously using PIMs.•Sample separation and pre-concentration can be achieved through the use of PIMs.•PIM-based passive sampling simplifies the analytical process and avoids biofouling.