Surface initiated living‐radical polymerization (SIP) based on dithiocarbamate iniferters has been used to create molecularly imprinted core‐shell (CS) nanoparticles. Using this approach, propranolol, morphine and naproxen have been successfully imprinted in particle shells (the latter could not be imprinted using conventional aqueous‐based CS methods). Rebinding properties of the imprinted particles appear to be similar to those made by alternative methods. The living radical initiation mechanism makes it possible to build complex multi‐layer particles sequentially. As a demonstration, multi‐layer propranolol‐imprinted particles were generated. Two additional functional shells were grown over the imprinted shell, while the propranolol binding was retained, albeit at a reduced level.
