Micro- and Nanosensors, Recent Developments and Features: A Minireview

Nanomaterials: Electrochemical Properties and Application in Sensors

The unique properties of nanoparticles make them an extremely valuable modifying material, being used in electrochemical sensors. The features of nanoparticles affect the kinetics and thermodynamics of electrode processes of both nanoparticles and redox reactions occurring on their surface. The paper describes theoretical background and experimental studies of these processes. During the transition from macro- to micro- and nanostructures, the analytical characteristics of sensors modify. These features of metal nanoparticles are related to their size and energy effects, which affects the analytical characteristics of developed sensors. Modification of the macroelectrode with nanoparticles and other nanomaterials reduces the detection limit and improves the degree of sensitivity and selectivity of measurements. The use of nanoparticles as transducers, catalytic constituents, parts of electrochemical sensors for antioxidant detection, adsorbents, analyte transporters, and labels in electrochemical immunosensors and signal-generating elements is described.

Carbon-Dot-Based Nanosensors for the Detection of Intracellular Redox State

Carbon-dot-based nanosensors are prepared through sequentially assembling a polymer/carbon dot multilayer shell on mesoporous silica nanoparticles with different crosslinking densities of disulfide bonds; they can be utilized to evaluate the gluthathione (GSH) concentration. In vitro cell assays demonstrate the feasibility of using such nanosensors in evaluating the intracellular redox state of different cells.