Optically Active Nanomaterials and Its Biosensing Applications—A Review

Abstract

This article discusses optically active nanomaterials and their optical biosensing applications. In addition to enhancing their sensitivity, these nanomaterials also increase their biocompatibility. For this reason, nanomaterials, particularly those based on their chemical compositions, such as carbon-based nanomaterials, inorganic-based nanomaterials, organic-based nanomaterials, and composite-based nanomaterials for biosensing applications are investigated thoroughly. These nanomaterials are used extensively in the field of fiber optic biosensing to improve response time, detection limit, and nature of specificity. Consequently, this article describes contemporary and application-based research that will be of great use to researchers in the nanomaterial-based optical sensing field. The difficulties encountered during the synthesis, characterization, and application of nanomaterials are also enumerated, and their future prospects are outlined for the reader’s benefit.

Intramolecular aptamer switches

“…SGI was used to measure the binding of E2. 29 An E2 stock solution (10 mM) was dissolved in ethanol and subsequent dilutions were made in buffer 2. Different concentrations of E2 were added to buffer 2 containing 200 nM Es2 and 0.1× SGI.…”

Wearable Smart Bandage-Based Bio-Sensors

“…Active drug delivery systems have been on the market for several decades in items such as insulin pumps and do-it-yourself (DIY) blood analysis devices, but the technology available is still invasive, and sometimes requires a trained professional for initial setup [ 149 , 150 ]. With the current advancements in passive wearable sensors, transdermal drug delivery [ 151 , 152 , 153 ], flexible electronics, novel materials such as smart nanomaterials [ 111 , 154 ], and monitoring techniques [ 155 , 156 ], the addition of an active and externally controlled system is the obvious next step. The current active smart biosensors in development vary by many parameters; one example of these is bandages executing design objectives via reaction to external stimuli such as light, surface temperature and pH.…”

Capture‐SELEX for a short aptamer for label‐free detection of salicylic acid

“…[29] We first used ThT as a label-free dye to probe its binding to SA (Figure 2c). [30,31] Even though this SA1 aptamer is not rich in guanine, ThT can still nonspecifically bind to it and enhance the fluorescence. Upon target binding, a fraction of the ThT is displaced and decreased fluorescence is observed.…”