The successful separation of vanillin from soda lignin, extracted from the black liquor of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFBs) with 20% (v/v) sulfuric acid may be negated by the high impurity content in the vanillin obtained. A molecular imprinting polymers (MIPs) technique was developed for vanillin to remove the impurities attached to it. A synthesis method was used in preparing the MIPs, where impure vanillin molecules were used as the template, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as the solvent, and methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate acid (EGDMA) respectively functioning as the monomer and cross-linker. The results were confirmed by gas chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry (MS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) of the sample against a standard vanillin. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.