Silica-based electrochemical sensors and biosensors: Recent trends

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Grafted surface compounds in chemical sensors and biosensors

The use of grafted surface compounds for covalent immobilization of molecules and nanoparticles on the surface of sensors of various types is discussed. The classification of immobilization methods is based on the chemical nature of the surface of the material used in the sensitive element of a sensor: noble metals; inogranic oxides and salts; carbon and polymeric materials.     

Optical sensors and biosensors based on sol-gel films

The sol-gel technology is being increasingly used for the development of optical sensors and biosensors, due to its simplicity and versatility. By this process, porous thin films incorporating different chemical and biochemical sensing agents are easily obtained at room temperature, allowing final structures with mechanical and thermal stability as well as good optical characteristics. In this article, an overview of the state-of-the-art of sol-gel thin films-based optical sensors is presented. Applications reviewed include sensors for determination of pH, gases, ionic species and solvents, as well as biosensors.     

Microneedle array-based carbon paste amperometric sensors and biosensors

The design and characterization of a microneedle array-based carbon paste electrode towards minimally invasive electrochemical sensing are described. Arrays consisting of 3 × 3 pyramidal microneedle structures, each with an opening of 425 μm, were loaded with a metallized carbon paste transducer. The renewable nature of carbon paste electrodes enables the convenient packing of hollow non-planar microneedles with pastes that contain assorted catalysts and biocatalysts. Smoothing the surface results in good microelectrode-to-microelectrode uniformity. Optical and scanning electron micrographs shed useful insights into the surface morphology at the microneedle apertures. The attractive performance of the novel microneedle electrode arrays is illustrated in vitro for the low-potential detection of hydrogen peroxide at rhodium-dispersed carbon paste microneedles and for lactate biosensing by the inclusion of lactate oxidase in the metallized carbon paste matrix. Highly repeatable sensing is observed following consecutive cycles of packing/unpacking the carbon paste. The operational stability of the array is demonstrated as well as the interference-free detection of lactate in the presence of physiologically relevant levels of ascorbic acid, uric acid, and acetaminophen. Upon addressing the biofouling effects associated with on-body sensing, the microneedle carbon paste platform would be attractive for the subcutaneous electrochemical monitoring of a number of physiologically relevant analytes.     

Oxidations of two-dimensional semiconductors: Fundamentals and applications

Since the discovery of graphene, two-dimensional(2D) semiconductors have been attracted intensive interest due to their unique properties. They have exhibited potential applications in next generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, most of the 2D semiconductor are known to suffer from the ambient oxidation which degrade the materials and therefore hinder us from the intrinsic materials’ properties and the optimized performance of devices. In this review, we summarize the recent ...     

Electrochemical sensors and biosensors based on heterogeneous carbon materials

Abstract  An overview of the use of electrochemical sensors made from heterogeneous carbon materials (carbon paste electrodes, screen-printed carbon electrodes) in the field of food analysis is presented. Sensors for inorganic and organic analytes as well as biosensors are summarized. Graphical abstract        

Electrochemical sensors and biosensors based on heterogeneous carbon materials

Abstract  

An overview of the use of electrochemical sensors made from heterogeneous carbon materials (carbon paste electrodes, screen-printed carbon electrodes) in the field of food analysis is presented. Sensors for inorganic and organic analytes as well as biosensors are summarized.     

Plasmonics for pulsed-laser cell nanosurgery: Fundamentals and applications

This review describes the fundamental aspects of pulsed laser interaction with plasmonic nanostructures, and its applications to cell nanosurgery, including the destruction, modification or manipulation of molecular, sub-cellular and cellular structures. The review assumes no prior knowledge of the field of plasmonics and begins with a short review of the basic theory of plasmon excitation and optical properties of nanoscale metallic structures. Fundamentals of short and ultrashort laser pulse interaction with plasmonic nanostructures in a water environment are then discussed. Special emphasis is put on the consequences of the irradiation on the surrounding environment of the nanostructure, including heating, low-density plasma generation, pressure wave release and formation of vapor bubbles. The paper is concluded with a review of different applications of pulsed-laser interaction with plasmonic nanostructures for cell nanosurgery, including photothermal therapy, plasmonic enhanced cell transfection, molecular surgery and drug delivery.     

Nanomaterial-based electrochemical biosensors for medical applications

With recent advances in nanotechnology, great progress has been made in biosensors based on nanomaterials, but there are still numerous challenges to overcome. We describe nanomaterial-based biosensors for researchers new to the field, paying particular attention to metal nanoparticles and carbon nanotube (CNT)-based label-free approaches. Label-free monitoring of biorecognition events provides a promising platform, which is simple, cost-effective, and requires no external modification to biomolecules. Using examples from recent reports, we illustrate the diversity of biological recognition events and the range of experimental techniques employed for metal-nanoparticle-based and label-free characterization.     

Direct optical sensors: principles and selected applications

In the field of bio and chemosensors a large number of detection principles has been published within the last decade. These detection principles are based either on the observation of fluorescence-labelled systems or on direct optical detection in the heterogeneous phase. Direct optical detection can be measured by remission (absorption of reflected radiation, opt(r)odes), by measuring micro-refractivity, or measuring interference. In the last case either Mach–Zehnder interferometers or measurement of changes in the physical thickness of the layer (measuring micro-reflectivity) caused, e.g., by swelling effects in polymers (due to interaction with analytes) or in bioassays (due to affinity reactions) also play an important role. Here, an overview of methods of microrefractometric and microreflectometric principles is given and benefits and drawbacks of the various approaches are demonstrated using samples from the chemo and biosensor field. The quality of sensors does not just depend on transduction principles but on the total sensor system defined by this transduction, the sensitive layer, data acquisition electronics, and evaluation software. The intention of this article is, therefore, to demonstrate the essentials of the interaction of these parts within the system, and the focus is on optical sensing using planar transducers, because fibre optical sensors have been reviewed in this journal only recently. Lack of selectivity of chemosensors can be compensated either by the use of sensor arrays or by evaluating time-resolved measurements of analyte/sensitive layer interaction. In both cases chemometrics enables the quantification of analyte mixtures. These data-processing methods have also been successfully applied to antibody/antigen interactions even using cross-reactive antibodies. Because miniaturisation and parallelisation are essential approaches in recent years, some aspects and current trends, especially for bio-applications, will be discussed. Miniaturisation is especially well covered in the literature.     

Principles and applications of electrochemical and optical biosensors

The principles of biocatalytic and bioaffinity biosensors are reviewed with emphasis on electron transfer-type enzyme sensors, optical enzyme sensors and optical immunosensors for homogeneous immunoassay. An enzyme sensor for ethanol was fabricated by electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole onto the surface of platinized platinum-adsorbed alcohol dehydrogenase—NAD—Meldola Blue. Ethanol was determined amperometrically by measuring the oxidative current through polypyrrole. An optical enzyme sensor is exemplified by an acethylcholine sensor based on an optical pH fibre sensor using a thin polyaniline film. The optical immunosensor for homogeneous immunoassay consists of an optical fibre, the end of the which is coated with an optically transparent platinum electrode. With using luminol as a label, highly sensitive homogeneous immunoassay is carried out by measuring the electrochemical luminescence of the label.     

Chemical sensors and their systems

The review presents a short record of the evolution of chemical sensors (ion selective electrodes) and multisensor systems of an electronic tongue type, based on the organization principles similar to those of biological sensors. The main types of chemical sensors and multisensor electronic tongue combinations elaborated today are considered along with sensitive materials used in them. Recent advances in chemical sensors, for example, lower detection limits and so-called true selectivity are scrutinized. Also, some widespread analytical applications of electron tongues, including those for the identification and classification of liquid media, for the quantification of various components in there, for the control of industrial processes, as well as the type and intensity evaluation of the taste of food and medications are discussed.     

Development and comparison of biosensors for in-vivo applications

Electrochemical biosensors have been of increasing interest, especially those developed to be directly applied in diagnostic areas, such as neuroscience. We have been interested in developing a range of biosensors for monitoring glucose, lactate, pyruvate, and glutamate in order to study on-line both brain function in the laboratory and to monitor brain health in neurointensive care. For a biosensor to function effectively in these situations, it has to combine the following characteristics: quick response and high sensitivity, good reproducibility and adequate stability. In this study we compared the performance of a number of different amperometric biosensors strategies. These included ferrocene mediation of immobilised enzymes (system A), a redox hydrogel based system (system B), and a conducting polymer approach using polyaniline (system C). All assays were operated as flow-injection systems with upstream immobilised enzyme beds if necessary. When calibrated for H2O2 systems A and B reacted quickly enough to give quantitative conversion up to 0.2 mM. Above this concentration the response was limited by horseradish peroxidase enzyme kinetics and eventually enzyme loading. System C showed a restricted H2O2 response. When calibrated for glucose (by use of immobilised glucose oxidase) system B exhibited the highest sensitivity but its analytical range was restricted because the system became limited by H2O2 response. System A had low sensitivity for analyte compared to H2O2 and system B, but a greater useful range. Problems of mediator cycling between the immobilised enzymes are discussed. System C gave an excellent linear range but sensitivity was limited by background noise. Stability and reproducibility of the systems are also described. In conclusion, from this study the ferrocene system proved to be overall most useful and has now been used in the first dual on-line monitoring of glucose and lactate in patients in neurointensive care.     

Chalcogenide glass chemical sensors: Research and analytical applications

The paper is devoted to research and development in the field of chalcogenide glass chemical sensors for determination of heavy metal ions in solution. The overview of the solid-state scientific approach and research design of the sensing materials is followed by the original results of the analytical application of the chalcogenide glass sensors for laboratory analysis, industrial control and environmental monitoring.     

Polymer coating technology for high performance applications: Fundamentals and advances

This is an overview of polymer coating technology, which is a way for altering surface properties to meet performance requirement in variety of technical applications. Polymer coatings have been utilized for purposes of adhesion, barrier properties, scratch and abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, wettability, biocompatibility, etc. Different approaches have been developed and adopted for fabrication of protective organic coatings. A judicious choice of polymer, coating technique, and fabrication parameters may lead to high performance coatings with upgraded properties. Recently, polymer coatings have been successfully and frequently adopted for solar cell, lithium-sulfur batteries, membrane technology, Light-Emitting Diode, corrosion protection, packaging, and biomedical.     

Propofol-imprinted membranes with potential applications in biosensors

Herein we describe a new thin film imprinted polymer for propofol (active ingredient of a commonly used general intravenous anaesthetic) developed on a membrane support. Propofol binds to this polymer in 2 min and can be removed and tested in 1 min, giving a total assay time of 3 min. The non-specific binding to the polymer is below the detection limit (0.1 μg/ml) and the response rate is below the rate of metabolism of the anaesthetic. Tests performed with this polymer against propofol-spiked blood samples showed good linearity and specificity at clinically relevant concentrations of 1-10 μg/ml and the working range for the system is 0.1-50 μg/ml. The polymer is easily regenerated and can be re-used for subsequent testing (in blood up to 5000 cycles). These results suggest suitability for use in an on-line propofol detection system.