Post‐Synthesis Concentration Strategies for Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanoparticles: Benchmarking Performance, Process Efficiency, and Scalability Potential

Molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP NPs), also known as plastic antibodies, are increasingly recognised for their strong and selective binding performance, chemical stability, and versatility in biomedical and analytical applications. Despite the potential of solid‐phase synthesis for producing MIP NPs, downstream processing and benchmarking remain a key practical bottleneck in workflow scalability, limiting research and commercial adoption. This study evaluates different post‐synthesis concentration strategies as alternatives to conventional centrifugal ultrafiltration, which is time‐intensive and operationally restrictive. The methods investigated include evaporation followed by dialysis, evaporation followed by centrifugal ultrafiltration, and vacuum‐assisted membrane ultrafiltration. Each approach was systematically assessed with respect to apparent nanoparticle concentration, processing time, cost‐effectiveness, and preservation of key physicochemical properties. Among the tested protocols, evaporation coupled with dialysis demonstrated the most favourable overall performance, yielding apparent nanoparticle concentrations on the order of 10 9 particles·mL − 1 while preserving binding performance and colloidal stability. These findings highlight the importance of post‐synthesis processing in determining nanoparticle performance and provide a practical framework for optimising processing workflows toward scalable translational applications. To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically compare post‐synthesis concentration strategies for solid‐phase synthesised MIP NPs using an integrated framework combining physicochemical performance, binding functionality, and process‐level considerations.