PVP brushes are able to sense toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide with microgravimetric techniques.

Molecularly Imprinted Poly-4-vinylphenol can be produced for the selective electrochemical detection of small molecules, such as cotinine or nicotine.

[1] The protected monomers can be prepared from 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, by vinylation of phenols, or acylation of polystyrene followed by oxidation at room temperature.

Nitroxide mediated polymerization can also be used to prepare polyacetoxystyrene, which can transformed in polyphenols by UV irradiation.

ATRP can also be used for the preparation of defined block copolymers of PVP, by polymerization of 4-acetoxystyrene that is subsequently selectively hydrolysed.