Fabrication of electrospun sensor based on a synthesized component doped into PAN (polyacrylonitrile) nanofibers for electrochemical detection of zearalenone mycotoxin in foods simulant

Electrospinning-based sensing technologies: Opportunities for food applications

The article explores the science and practice of electrospinning, tracing its history and examining the factors that influence fiber morphology, including the solution composition, processing conditions, and environmental conditions. It offers a thorough examination of electrospinning fundamentals geared toward generating an appropriate platform for creating tailored nanofibers for sensing applications in the food industry. These nanofibers play a critical role in food analysis, sensing, and traceability, and we highlight their effectiveness in identifying pesticide residues, food components, antibiotics, heavy metals, and foodborne pathogens as well as in monitoring the freshness and spoilage of food. The use of electrospinning technology is poised to make sensing platforms more accessible, affordable, and widespread, thereby significantly contributing to the improvement of food quality and safety monitoring practices.

Fabrication of a sensitive electrochemical sensor based on hybrid polyamide/chromotropic acid nanofibers electrospun on glassy carbon electrode for Hg2+ sensing in drinking water and canned fish samples

In this study, a new electrochemical sensor was designed based on a hybrid of polyamide (PA) and chromotropic acid (CA) nanofibers electrospun on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) configured as PANFs-CANFs/GCE. The electrochemical response of this sensor showed an excellent electrochemical activity for the detection of Hg²⁺ ions using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods. The proposed sensor exhibited the prominent electrocatalytic value of (α = 0.60, Log Ks = 3.45 s^-1 and Γ = 3.30 × 10 ^-9 mmol/cm²) as a result of PANFs-CANFs/GCE response to Hg²⁺ ions. The recommended sensor also demonstrated a linear portion in the calibration curve over the concentration range of 30 to 450 nM with the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 9.98 nM and 29.97 nM, respectively. The fabricated sensor revealed reproducible and repeatable responses with a high level of stability. Therefore, we highly recommend this new electro-spun based sensor for quantifying Hg²⁺ in drinking water and canned fish samples with the accurate and precise results and no side interferences.

Nanomaterial interfaces designed with different biorecognition elements for biosensing of key foodborne pathogens

Foodborne diseases caused by pathogen bacteria are a serious problem toward the safety of human life in a worldwide. Conventional methods for pathogen bacteria detection have several handicaps, including trained personnel requirement, low sensitivity, laborious enrichment steps, low selectivity, and long-term experiments. There is a need for precise and rapid identification and detection of foodborne pathogens. Biosensors are a remarkable alternative for the detection of foodborne bacteria compared to conventional methods. In recent years, there are different strategies for the designing of specific and sensitive biosensors. Researchers activated to develop enhanced biosensors with different transducer and recognition elements. Thus, the aim of this study was to provide a topical and detailed review on aptamer, nanofiber, and metal organic framework-based biosensors for the detection of food pathogens. First, the conventional methods, type of biosensors, common transducer, and recognition element were systematically explained. Then, novel signal amplification materials and nanomaterials were introduced. Last, current shortcomings were emphasized, and future alternatives were discussed.

Improving the functionality of biodegradable food packaging materials via porous nanomaterials

Non-biodegradability and disposal problems are the major challenges associated with synthetic plastic packaging. This review article discusses a new generation of biodegradable active and smart packaging based on porous nanomaterials (PNMs), which maintains the quality and freshness of food products while meeting biodegradability requirements. PNMs have recently gained significant attention in the field of food packaging due to their large surface area, peculiar structures, functional flexibility, and thermal stability. We present for the first time the recently published literature on the incorporation of various PNMs into renewable materials to develop advanced, environmentally friendly, and high-quality packaging technology. Various emerging packaging technologies are discussed in this review, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, it provides general information about PNMs, their characterization, and fabrication methods. It also briefly describes the effects of different PNMs on the functionality of biopolymeric films. Furthermore, we examined how smart packaging loaded with PNMs can improve food shelf life and reduce food waste. The results indicate that PNMs play a critical role in improving the antimicrobial, thermal, physicochemical, and mechanical properties of natural packaging materials. These tailor-made materials can simultaneously extend the shelf life of food while reducing plastic usage and food waste.

Recent advances in morphology, aperture control, functional control and electrochemical sensors applications of carbon nanofibers

Among many nanomaterials, electrospun carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have become one of the hot spots in nanoscience research because of their interesting physicochemical and biological properties such as large specific surface area, easy functionalization and biocompatibility. Polyacrylonitrile（PAN) has also become the most widely used precursor fiber for CNF manufacturing. In this paper, the latest advances in the synthesis of CNF by electrospinning were reviewed, including using template method, heat treatment, coaxial spinning technology to control the morphology and aperture, as well as the functionalization of electrospinning doped with chemical substances such as heteroatoms, nanoparticles (NPs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and grapheme (Gr), in order to further expand its application scope. The application of electrospun CNFs as electrochemical sensing platform for toxic and harmful substances in food and environment was also briefly introduced.

Recent advances in the highly sensitive determination of zearalenone residues in water and environmental resources with electrochemical biosensors

Zearalenone (ZEN), a significant class of mycotoxin which is considered as a xenoestrogen, permits, similar to natural estrogens, it's binding to the receptors of estrogen resulting in various reproductive diseases especially, hormonal misbalance. ZEN has toxic effects on human and animal health as a result of its teratogenicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, nephrotoxicity, genotoxicity, and immunotoxicity. To ensure water and environmental resources safety, precise, rapid, sensitive, and reliable analytical and conventional methods can be progressed for the determination of toxins such as ZEN. Different selective nanomaterial-based compounds are used in conjunction with different analytical detection approaches to achieve this goal. The current review demonstrates the state-of-the-art advances of nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensing assays including various sensing, apta-sensing and, immunosensing studies to the highly sensitive determination of various ZEN families. At first, a concise study of the occurrence, structure, toxicity, legislations, and distribution of ZEN in monitoring has been performed. Then, different conventional and clinical techniques and procedures to sensitive and selective sensing techniques have been reviewed and the efficient comparison of them has been thoroughly discussed. This study has also summarized the salient features and the requirements for applying various sensing and biosensing platforms and diverse immobilization techniques in ZEN detection. Finally, we have defined the performance of several electrochemical sensors applying diverse recognition elements couples with nanomaterials fabricated using various recognition elements coupled with nanomaterials (metal NPs, metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), graphene, and CNT) the issues limiting development, and the forthcoming tasks in successful construction with the applied nanomaterials.

Electrospun Nanofibers for Sensing and Biosensing Applications-A Review

Sensors and biosensors have found applications in many areas, e.g., in medicine and clinical diagnostics, or in environmental monitoring. To expand this field, nanotechnology has been employed in the construction of sensing platforms. Because of their properties, such as high surface area to volume ratio, nanofibers (NFs) have been studied and used to develop sensors with higher loading capacity, better sensitivity, and faster response time. They also allow to miniaturize designed platforms. One of the most commonly used techniques of the fabrication of NFs is electrospinning. Electrospun NFs can be used in different types of sensors and biosensors. This review presents recent studies concerning electrospun nanofiber-based electrochemical and optical sensing platforms for the detection of various medically and environmentally relevant compounds, including glucose, drugs, microorganisms, and toxic metal ions.

Paper and Other Fibrous Materials-A Complete Platform for Biosensing Applications

Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) and Electrospun Fiber-Based Biosensors (EFBs) have aroused the interest of the academy and industry due to their affordability, sensitivity, ease of use, robustness, being equipment-free, and deliverability to end-users. These features make them suitable to face the need for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, monitoring, environmental, and quality food control applications. Our work introduces new and experienced researchers in the field to a practical guide for fibrous-based biosensors fabrication with insight into the chemical and physical interaction of fibrous materials with a wide variety of materials for functionalization and biofunctionalization purposes. This research also allows readers to compare classical and novel materials, fabrication techniques, immobilization methods, signal transduction, and readout. Moreover, the examined classical and alternative mathematical models provide a powerful tool for bioanalytical device designing for the multiple steps required in biosensing platforms. Finally, we aimed this research to comprise the current state of PADs and EFBs research and their future direction to offer the reader a full insight on this topic.

Electrochemical determination of T2 toxin by graphite/polyacrylonitrile nanofiber electrode

Fabricating graphite electrode corrected with nanofiber by electrospinning as a considerable procedure for utilization in the fluid materials, milk, and syrup for detection of T2 mycotoxin is a significant technique. The modern biosensor was fabricated at normal degrees of room and utilized via buffer Britton-Robinson (B-R) in pH = 5 to refine the chemico-mechanical specifications. The electrochemical manner of the modified surface was surveyed using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SQWV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The corrected electrode displayed a linear reply to T2 toxin in two distinct concentration ranges of 30-100 nM with correlation coefficients of 0.99. The greatest signals in the square wave spectrums for the B-R buffer created on the uttermost signals of the obtained streams were pH = 5 and 0.5 M of KNO3 for T2 toxin. The modified electrode has a big signal, broad dynamic concentration and high sensitivity and selectivity.