Sensitive Colorimetric Lateral Flow Assays Enabled by Platinum‐Group Metal Nanoparticles with Peroxidase‐Like Activities

Abstract

The last several decades have witnessed the success and popularity of colorimetric lateral flow assay (CLFA) in point‐of‐care testing. Driven by increasing demand, great efforts have been directed toward enhancing the detection sensitivity of CLFA. Recently, platinum‐group metal nanoparticles (PGM NPs) with peroxidase‐like activities have emerged as a type of promising colorimetric labels for enhancing the sensitivity of CLFA. By incorporating a simple and rapid post‐treatment process, the PGM NP‐based CLFAs are orders of magnitude more sensitive than conventional gold nanoparticle‐based CLFAs. In this perspective, the study begins with introducing the design, synthesis, and characterization of PGM NPs with peroxidase‐like activities. The current techniques for surface modification of PGM NPs are then discussed, followed by operation and optimization of PGM NP‐based CLFAs. Afterward, opinions are provided on the social impact of PGM NP‐based CLFAs. Lastly, this perspective is concluded with an outlook of future research directions in this emerging field, where the challenges and opportunities are discussed.