Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Biosensors Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensor and Bioelectronic Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 16201

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kevin C. Honeychurch

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Interests: sensors; biosensors; voltammetry; chromatography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yuhong Zheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Interests: the application of electrochemical and (bio)sensors in plants

Dr. Martina Piano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Interests: screen printed electrode; sensor for health technology application; point of care instrument, environmental, and nanotechnology applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The environment, food and medicine are the three major fields most closely related to people's daily lives. With a population increasing and the pressures of economic development, there are more and more challenges facing these three fields; such as population growth; exerting pressure on environment quality, food production and the spread of diseases. Economic development has led to improved living conditions and stimulated demand for better food safety and health. Hence, sensor technology focused on environment protection, food quality control and medicine have become research hotspots. Electrochemical sensors and biosensors have been widely used in these three fields due to their excellent selectivity and sensitivity. They are small and portable, allowing them to be widely applied in both static and mobile platforms and for the possibility of use in the field, at the point-of-need.

This Special Issue is focused on the applications of advanced electrochemical (bio)sensors in fields of the environment, food, and medicine. It aims to provide a platform for the publication of original high-quality research papers covering the most recent advances in these areas, as well as comprehensive reviews on the application of both the electrochemical and non-electrochemical sensing and bio-sensing technologies in these fields. We invited a wide range of appropriate contributions and should covers any type of experimental, theoretical, numerical, and computational research in the areas of both electrochemical and non-electrochemical (bio) sensors in for environment, food, and medicine. This includes (but is not limited to) theoretical development, mathematical models, numerical algorithms, optimization, machine learning approaches, probabilistic and stochastic approaches, and computational methods. Discussions of electrochemical and nonelectrochemical sensors employing both classical and advanced techniques, based on enzymes, antibodies, DNA, aptamers, molecularly imprinted polymers, and the application of nanotechnology are also welcome.

Dr. Kevin C. Honeychurch
Dr. Yuhong Zheng
Dr. Martina Piano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

electrochemical sensors
biosensors
food safety
food quality control
enviromental pollution monitoring
medicine
detection
analysis

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (8 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 5945 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sea Urchin-like Magnetic Microbeads-Based Electrochemical Biosensor for Highly Sensitive Detection of Metabolites

by Bin Chen, Xiaosu Yuan, Enze Tian, Yunjie Tan, Le Li and Ru Huang

Biosensors 2025, 15(4), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15040225 - 2 Apr 2025

Viewed by 228

Abstract

Analyzing metabolite levels in bodily fluids is essential for disease diagnosis and surveillance. Electrochemical biosensors are ideal for monitoring metabolite levels due to their high sensitivity, rapid response, and low cost. The magnetic microbeads-based electrode functionalization method further promotes the automation development of electrochemical biosensors by eliminating the tedious electrode polishing process. In this study, we presented sea urchin-like magnetic microbeads (SMMBs) and constructed an SMMB-based electrochemical biosensor. The specific morphology of SMMBs provides a larger specific surface area and abundant enzyme binding sites, thereby expanding the active reaction interface on the electrode and improving the sensitivity of the biosensor. Experiment results demonstrated that the SMMB-based electrochemical biosensor achieves μM level detection sensitivity for glucose. Furthermore, by replacing the anchored oxidase on SMMBs, the biosensor can be extended to detect other metabolites, such as cholesterol. In summary, the SMMBs provide a new path to handily construct electrochemical biosensors and hold a great potential for metabolite detection and further development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 3054 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Curcumin Electroanalysis at a Disposable Graphite Electrode

by Mihaela-Carmen Cheregi, Alina Tirsoaga, Cosmina Ion, Emilia-Elena Iorgulescu, Iulia Gabriela David and Hassan Noor

Biosensors 2025, 15(3), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15030137 - 23 Feb 2025

Viewed by 779

Abstract

Curcumin (CU, turmeric), a polyphenolic phytochemical that is largely used as a food spice, has benefits for human health, which have led to increased interest in its therapeutic applications and its analysis from different matrices. The two guaiacol moieties of CU are responsible for its antioxidant properties and allow for its voltammetric quantification. Cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) investigations at a single-use pencil graphite electrode (PGE) emphasized complex pH-dependent electrode processes, involving an equal number of protons and electrons. Theoretical calculations predicted a folded geometry for the β-diketone CU conformers, which interact with the PGE surface, exposing the electroactive moieties of only one aromatic ring. The Gibbs energy variations of the structures involved in CU electro-oxidation and the theoretical electrochemical potential values were calculated. CU’s DPV cathodic peak intensity recorded at an HB-type PGE in 0.05 mol × L⁻¹ H₂SO₄ varied linearly in the range 5.00 × 10⁻⁸–5.00 × 10⁻⁶ mol × L⁻¹ CU. The method’s detection and quantification limits were 2.12 × 10⁻⁸ mol × L⁻¹ and 6.42 × 10⁻⁸ mol × L⁻¹, respectively. The practical applicability of the developed method, successfully tested by CU assessment in dietary supplements, provided a recovery of 99.28 ± 2.04%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3676 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Determination of Doxorubicin in the Presence of Dacarbazine Using MWCNTs/ZnO Nanocomposite Modified Disposable Screen-Printed Electrode

by Somayeh Tajik, Hadi Beitollahi, Fariba Garkani Nejad and Zahra Dourandish

Biosensors 2025, 15(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15010060 - 17 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1044

Abstract

In the current work, the MWCNTs/ZnO nanocomposite was successfully synthesized using simple method. Then, FE-SEM, XRD, and EDX techniques were applied for morphological and structural characterization. Afterward, a sensitive voltammetric sensor based on modification of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) using MWCNTs/ZnO nanocomposite was developed for the determination of doxorubicin in the presence of dacarbazine. To evaluate the electrochemical response of the MWCNTs/ZnO/SPCE towards doxorubicin, cyclic voltammetry (CV) was applied. The MWCNTs/ZnO nanocomposite showed a significant synergistic effect on the electrochemical response of the electrode for the redox reaction of doxorubicin. Also, the MWCNTs/ZnO/SPCE demonstrated an enhanced sensing platform for the quantification of doxorubicin, obtaining a detection limit (LOD) of 0.002 µM and a sensitivity of 0.0897 µA/µM, as determined by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) within a linear range from 0.007 to 150.0 µM. Also, the MWCNTs/ZnO nanocomposite-modified SPCE showed high electrochemical activities towards the oxidation of doxorubicin and dacarbazine with peak-potential separation of 345 mV, which is sufficient for doxorubicin determination in the presence of dacarbazine. Also, the MWCNTs/ZnO nanocomposite-modified SPCE presented reproducible and stable responses to determine doxorubicin. Finally, the developed platform demonstrated a successful performance for doxorubicin and dacarbazine determination in real samples, with recovery in the range of 97.1% to 104.0% and relative standard deviation (RSD) from 1.8% to 3.5%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 4281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Heavy Metal Detection through Electrochemical Polishing of Carbon Electrodes

by Sanjeev Billa, Rohit Boddu, Shabnam Siddiqui and Prabhu U. Arumugam

Biosensors 2024, 14(9), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14090412 - 24 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1875

Abstract

Our research addresses the pressing need for environmental sensors capable of large-scale, on-site detection of a wide array of heavy metals with highly accurate sensor metrics. We present a novel approach using electrochemically polished (ECP) carbon screen-printed electrodes (cSPEs) for high-sensitivity detection of cadmium and lead. By applying a range of techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry, we investigated the impact of the electrochemical potential scan range, scan rate, and the number of cycles on electrode response and its ability to detect cadmium and lead. Our findings reveal a 41 ± 1.2% increase in voltammogram currents and a 51 ± 1.6% decrease in potential separations (n = 3), indicating a significantly improved active electrode area and kinetics. The impedance model elucidates the microstructural and electrochemical property changes in the ECP-treated electrodes, showing an 88 ± 2% (n = 3) decrease in the charge transfer resistance, leading to enhanced electrode electrical conductivity. A bismuth-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite-modified, ECP-treated electrode demonstrated a higher cadmium and lead sensitivity of up to 5 ± 0.1 μAppb⁻¹cm⁻² and 2.7 ± 0.1 μAppb⁻¹cm⁻² (n = 3), respectively, resulting in sub-ppb limits of detection in spiked deionized water samples. Our study underscores the potential of optimally ECP-activated electrodes as a foundation for designing ultrasensitive heavy metal sensors for a wide range of real-world heavy metal-contaminated waters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2040 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Aptasensing Platform for the Detection of Retinol Binding Protein-4

by Kamila Malecka-Baturo, Paulina Żółtowska, Agnieszka Jackowska, Katarzyna Kurzątkowska-Adaszyńska and Iwona Grabowska

Biosensors 2024, 14(2), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14020101 - 16 Feb 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2972

Abstract

Here, we present the results of our the electrochemical aptasensing strategy for retinol binding protein-4 (RBP-4) detection based on a thiolated aptamer against RBP-4 and 6-mercaptohexanol (MCH) directly immobilized on a gold electrode surface. The most important parameters affecting the magnitude of the analytical signal generated were optimized: (i) the presence of magnesium ions in the immobilization and measurement buffer, (ii) the concentration of aptamer in the immobilization solution and (iii) its folding procedure. In this work, a systematic assessment of the electrochemical parameters related to the optimization of the sensing layer of the aptasensor was carried out (electron transfer coefficients (α), electron transfer rate constants (k⁰) and surface coverage of the thiolated aptamer probe (Γ_Apt)). Then, under the optimized conditions, the analytical response towards RBP-4 protein, in the presence of an Fe(CN)₆^3−/4− redox couple in the supporting solution was assessed. The proposed electrochemical strategy allowed for RBP-4 detection in the concentration range between 100 and 1000 ng/mL with a limit of detection equal to 44 ng/mL based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The specificity studies against other diabetes biomarkers, including vaspin and adiponectin, proved the selectivity of the proposed platform. These preliminary results will be used in the next step to miniaturize and test the sensor in real samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1496 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Taste Sensor with Lipid/Polymer Membranes for Detection of Umami Substances Using Surface Modification

by Wenhao Yuan, Zeyu Zhao, Shunsuke Kimura and Kiyoshi Toko

Biosensors 2024, 14(2), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14020095 - 11 Feb 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2629

Abstract

A taste sensor employs various lipid/polymer membranes with specific physicochemical properties for taste classification and evaluation. However, phosphoric acid di(2-ethylhexyl) ester (PAEE), employed as one of the lipids for the taste sensors, exhibits insufficient selectivity for umami substances. The pH of sample solutions impacts the dissociation of lipids to influence the membrane potential, and the response to astringent substances makes accurate measurement of umami taste difficult. This study aims to develop a novel taste sensor for detecting umami substances like monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) through surface modification, i.e., a methodology previously applied to taste sensors for non-charged bitter substance measurement. Four kinds of modifiers were tested as membrane-modifying materials. By comparing the results obtained from these modifiers, the modifier structure suitable for measuring umami substances was identified. The findings revealed that the presence of carboxyl groups at para-position of the benzene ring, as well as intramolecular H-bonds between the carboxyl group and hydroxyl group, significantly affect the effectiveness of a modifier in the umami substance measurement. The taste sensor treated with this type of modifier showed excellent selectivity for umami substances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 5352 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Electrochemical Screen-Printed Sensor Based on Gold-Nanoparticle-Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide–Carbon Nanotubes Composites for the Determination of 17-β Estradiol

by Auwal M. Musa, Janice Kiely, Richard Luxton and Kevin C. Honeychurch

Biosensors 2023, 13(4), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13040491 - 19 Apr 2023

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4648 | Correction

Abstract

In this study, a screen-printed electrode (SPE) modified with gold-nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide–carbon nanotubes (rGO-AuNPs/CNT/SPE) was used for the determination of estradiol (E2). The AuNPs were produced through an eco-friendly method utilising plant extract, eliminating the need for severe chemicals, and remove the requirements of sophisticated fabrication methods and tedious procedures. In addition, rGO-AuNP serves as a dispersant for the CNT to improve the dispersion stability of CNTs. The composite material, rGO-AuNPs/CNT, underwent characterisation through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy (UV–vis), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrochemical performance of the modified SPE for estradiol oxidation was characterised using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. The rGO-AuNPs/CNT/SPE exhibited a notable improvement compared to bare/SPE and GO-CNT/SPE, as evidenced by the relative peak currents. Additionally, we employed a baseline correction algorithm to accurately adjust the sensor response while eliminating extraneous background components that are typically present in voltammetric experiments. The optimised estradiol sensor offers linear sensitivity from 0.05–1.00 µM, with a detection limit of 3 nM based on three times the standard deviation (3δ). Notably, this sensing approach yields stable, repeatable, and reproducible outcomes. Assessment of drinking water samples indicated an average recovery rate of 97.5% for samples enriched with E2 at concentrations as low as 0.5 µM%, accompanied by only a modest coefficient of variation (%CV) value of 2.7%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 4902 KiB

Open AccessReview

Aspects of Electrochemical Biosensors Using Affinity Assays

by Thor Pedersen, Leonid Gurevich and Nils E. Magnusson

Biosensors 2025, 15(3), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15030166 - 4 Mar 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1065

Abstract

In recent decades, the utilization of biomarkers has gained increasing attention. The timely identification and quantification of proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules associated with a medical condition, infection, or contaminant have become increasingly crucial across a variety of fields, including medicine, food safety, and quality/environmental control. State-of-the-art biomarker detection methods predominantly rely on standard immunoassay techniques, requiring specialized laboratory equipment and trained personnel. This impedes the broad commercial implementation of biosensors in, e.g., Point-of-Care (PoC) settings where ease of operation, portability, and cost-efficiency are prioritized. Small, robust electrochemical biosensors are a promising alternative for analyzing biomarkers in complex samples within PoC environments. Therefore, creating and designing optimized sensing surfaces, immobilization strategies, and efficient signal generation are crucial for improving biosensor systems, which in turn can have real-world impact. In the present paper, we reviewed common electrode types and geometries used in electrochemical biosensors and the immobilization approaches, discussed the advantages and drawbacks of different electrochemical detection methods, and presented different labeling strategies for signal generation and enhancement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Applications of Advanced Electrochemical (Bio)sensors in Environment, Food, and Medicine

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI