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Chemosensors
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Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics
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Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics

A special issue of Chemosensors (ISSN 2227-9040). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Chemical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 6215

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alina Vasilescu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
International Centre of Biodynamics, 1B Intrarea Portocalelor, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: analytical chemistry; biosensors; electrochemical sensors; aptamers; wine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Mihaela Badea

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500019 Brașov, Romania
2. Research Center for Fundamental Research and Prevention Strategies in Medicine, Research and Development Institute of Transilvania University of Brasov, 500484 Brașov, Romania
Interests: (bio)analytical methods; biochemistry, electrochemical (bio)sensors; studies of the activity of bioactive compounds in cell cultures; (tele)monitoring-(tele)diagnosis in life sciences
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jean Louis Marty

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
BAE-LBBM-USR CNRS 3579, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 52 Avenue Paul Allude, 66860 Perpignan, CEDEX, France
Interests: electrochemical and optical biosensors; aptasensors for food and environmental control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With technological advancements, sensors have become indispensable tools in various industries, enabling us to monitor, analyse, and diagnose with unprecedented precision and efficiency. This Special Issue showcases the latest research and developments in sensor technology and its applications in food testing, environmental analyses, and medical diagnostics.

Food Testing with Sensors

In the food industry, sensors play crucial roles in ensuring product safety, quality, and authenticity. Sensors can be used to detect contaminants, allergens, pathogens, and other potential hazards, as well as to monitor freshness, ripeness, and nutritional value. Advances in (bio)sensor technology, nanomaterials, and smart sensors have enabled faster and more reliable food testing, enabling real-time monitoring and early warning systems.

Environmental Analyses with Sensors

Environmental sensors are indispensable in monitoring air, water, and soil quality. They can detect pollutants, toxins, greenhouse gases, and other harmful substances, providing important data for environmental protection and risk assessment.

Medical Diagnostics with Sensors

In the field of medical diagnostics, sensors are used to detect biological active compounds, disease biomarkers, and other biological indicators, as do modern healthcare devices. Biosensors, electrochemical sensors, and optical sensors are some of the most commonly used technologies for rapid, point-of-care testing. These sensors can be integrated into wearable devices, smartphones, and other portable platforms, making diagnostic testing more accessible and convenient for patients.

We invite researchers, engineers, and practitioners from these fields to contribute their work and share their insights.

Dr. Alina Vasilescu
Prof. Dr. Mihaela Badea
Prof. Dr. Jean Louis Marty
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. Chemosensors 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 2700 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

  • sensor technology
  • food safety
  • environmental monitoring
  • medical diagnostics
  • biosensors
  • nanomaterials
  • Smart sensors
  • point-of-care testing
  • real-time monitoring

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3766 KiB  
Article
Relationship Between Sensor Sensitivity and Chemical Structure of Benzene-Carboxylic Modifiers for Umami Substance Detection
by Wenhao Yuan, Sota Otsuka, Jiarui Jin, Takeshi Onodera, Rui Yatabe, Shunsuke Kimura and Kiyoshi Toko
Chemosensors 2025, 13(3), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13030098 - 8 Mar 2025
Viewed by 498
Abstract
A 2,6-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (2,6-DHTA)-treated taste sensor exhibited sensitivity and selectivity for umami substances, as previously reported. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the sensor’s sensitivity to umami substance and the chemical structure of modifiers—specifically ortho, meta, and para substituents. The investigations [...] Read more.
A 2,6-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (2,6-DHTA)-treated taste sensor exhibited sensitivity and selectivity for umami substances, as previously reported. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the sensor’s sensitivity to umami substance and the chemical structure of modifiers—specifically ortho, meta, and para substituents. The investigations focused on using structurally different modifiers to measure monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) at various concentrations. Additionally, based on the investigation of lipid and modifier conditions, a 1 mM lipid concentration was chosen for fabricating the lipid/polymer membranes used in MSG measurements, and each membrane was treated with a 0.03 wt% modifier solution. The results revealed that the sensor’s sensitivity varied depending on the modifier structures as well as the presence of an intramolecular H-bond within these modifiers, indicating the critical role of modifier structures in effectively detecting umami substance with the taste sensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics)
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14 pages, 2209 KiB  
Article
Development of a Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with Saffron-Conjugated Silver Nanoparticles for the Simultaneous Determination of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cl in Soils and Plants
by Stella Girousi, Vasiliki Keramari, Ioanna Paraschi, Sophia Karastogianni and Evangelia E. Golia
Chemosensors 2025, 13(3), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13030091 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 496
Abstract
A simple and easily applicable analytical method for the simultaneous determination of Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Cl− by applying a modified carbon paste electrode with saffron-conjugated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@Sa) is being presented. The modified [...] Read more.
A simple and easily applicable analytical method for the simultaneous determination of Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Cl− by applying a modified carbon paste electrode with saffron-conjugated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@Sa) is being presented. The modified CPE was then used for the simultaneous determination of Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ as well as chloride ions in soil and plants. The comparative analysis demonstrated a significant enhancement in the applicability of the modified electrode through the incorporation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at the carbon paste electrode (CPE) surface, leading to the development of a poly-Sa-CPE. This newly proposed method offers notably superior qualitative performance compared to other metal nanoparticle-based modifications reported in the literature. The accordingly modified electrode was successfully applied in the development of a chloride ion. A novel sensor is being proposed that makes possible the determination of heavy metals and chlorides in the same solution, in soil and plant samples. The enhanced sensitivity and selectivity of the poly-Sa-CPE system highlights its potential as a more effective alternative for heavy metal and chloride analysis, further demonstrating its advantages in electrochemical applications. The LODs of Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Cl− for their simultaneous determination are 0.38 μg·L−1, 0.44 μg·L−1, 0.72 μg·L−1, 0.42 μg·L−1, and 0.11 μg·L−1, respectively, with comparably high relative standard deviations of about 8.1%, 9.4%, 8.3%, 7.6%, and 7.9%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics)
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18 pages, 2477 KiB  
Article
Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine with a Non-Enzymatic Sensor Based on Au@SiO2-APTES Composite
by Afef Dhaffouli, Pedro A. Salazar-Carballo, Soledad Carinelli, Michael Holzinger, Bruno V. M. Rodrigues and Houcine Barhoumi
Chemosensors 2025, 13(3), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13030087 - 3 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 720
Abstract
A novel material composed of Au@SiO2-(3-Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane) (Au@SiO2-APTES) was successfully synthesised using the sol–gel method, and was used to modify glassy carbon electrodes. Its effectiveness as a molecular recognition element is evaluated in the design of an electrochemical sensor [...] Read more.
A novel material composed of Au@SiO2-(3-Aminopropyl Triethoxysilane) (Au@SiO2-APTES) was successfully synthesised using the sol–gel method, and was used to modify glassy carbon electrodes. Its effectiveness as a molecular recognition element is evaluated in the design of an electrochemical sensor for the precise detection of dopamine. The Au@SiO2-APTES composite was analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Elemental analysis verified the presence of oxygen, silicon, and gold, with atomic percentages of around 77.19%, 21.12%, and 1.65%, respectively. The corresponding elemental mapping for Au@SiO2-APTES composite showed that the spatial distribution of all the elements was fairly homogeneous throughout the composite, indicating that the Au NPs are embedded in the silica structures. Traces of dopamine were detected by differential pulse voltammetry with a low limit of detection (S/N = 3) and quantification (S/N = 10) of 1.4 × 10−8 molL−1 and 4.7 × 10−8 molL−1, respectively. The Au@SiO2-APTES composite had two linear ranges: from 4.7 × 10−8 to 1 × 10−7 molL−1 and 1.25 × 10−7 to 8.75 × 10−7 molL−1. Moreover, the sensor showed outstanding selectivity even in the presence of various potential interfering species. It also demonstrated good reusability and signal recovery when tested in human urine and plasma samples spiked with different dopamine concentrations. The electrochemical sensor, constructed using this novel composite material, shows great promise in the selective and sensitive detection of dopamine in the biological matrix. These results underscore the sensor’s capability for practical application in analysing real-world samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics)
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11 pages, 5152 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Tumbleweed-like MoSe2 Nanostructures for Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Detection of Uric Acid
by Peizheng Shi, Ningbin Zhao, Zhuang Sun, Kaiqiang Sun, Wubo Chu, Hsu-Sheng Tsai, Lidong Wu, Tao Cai, Yuezhong Wang, Nan Jiang, Chen Ye, Li Fu, Lixin Xu and Cheng-Te Lin
Chemosensors 2025, 13(3), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13030081 - 2 Mar 2025
Viewed by 892
Abstract
Uric acid (UA), the final metabolic product of purines, plays a crucial role in human health monitoring. The UA concentration in biological fluids serves as a diagnostic marker for various disorders, particularly kidney diseases, and represents a potential therapeutic target. Given the growing [...] Read more.
Uric acid (UA), the final metabolic product of purines, plays a crucial role in human health monitoring. The UA concentration in biological fluids serves as a diagnostic marker for various disorders, particularly kidney diseases, and represents a potential therapeutic target. Given the growing emphasis on preventive healthcare, developing methods for real-time UA detection has become increasingly significant. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of novel tumbleweed-like molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) nanostructures through a single-step hydrothermal process. The synthesized MoSe2 was subsequently hybridized with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to construct electrodes for UA sensing. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurements revealed that the MoSe2/rGO-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited excellent UA detection capabilities under optimized conditions. The sensor demonstrated a remarkably low limit of detection (LOD) of 28.4 nM and maintained linearity across a wide concentration range (40 nM to 200 μM). Notably, the sensor showed high selectivity for UA detection even in the presence of common interfering species, including citric acid (CA), dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA), cysteine (Cys), glucose (Glu), oxalic acid (OA), sodium ions (Na+), and potassium ions (K+). The developed sensor displayed outstanding selectivity, stability, and reproducibility characteristics. This synthetic approach offers promising opportunities for developing MoSe2-based electrochemical sensing platforms suitable for diverse bioanalytical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics)
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11 pages, 1773 KiB  
Article
Stretching the Limits of Refractometric Sensing in Water Using Whispering-Gallery-Mode Resonators
by Kevin Soler-Carracedo, Antonia Ruiz, Susana Ríos, Sergio de Armas-Rillo, Leopoldo L. Martín, Martin Hohmann, Inocencio R. Martín and Fernando Lahoz
Chemosensors 2025, 13(2), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13020033 - 24 Jan 2025
Viewed by 720
Abstract
A novel application of microresonators for refractometric sensing in aqueous media is presented. To carry out this approach, microspheres of different materials and sizes were fabricated and doped with Nd3+ ions. Under 532 nm excitation, the microspheres presented typical NIR Nd3+ [...] Read more.
A novel application of microresonators for refractometric sensing in aqueous media is presented. To carry out this approach, microspheres of different materials and sizes were fabricated and doped with Nd3+ ions. Under 532 nm excitation, the microspheres presented typical NIR Nd3+ emission bands with superimposed sharp peaks, related to the Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs), due to the geometry of the microspheres. When the microspheres were submerged in water with increasing concentrations of glycerol, spectral shifts for the WGMs were observed as a function of the glycerol concentration. These spectral shifts were studied and calibrated for three different microspheres and validated with the theoretical shifts, obtained by solving the Helmholtz equations for the electromagnetic field, considering the geometry of the system, and also by calculating the extinction cross-section. WGM shifts strongly depend on the diameter of the microspheres and their refractive index (RI) difference compared with the external medium, and are greater for decreasing values of the diameter and lower values of RI difference. Experimental sensitivities ranging from 2.18 to 113.36 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) were obtained for different microspheres. Furthermore, reproducibility measurements were carried out, leading to a repeatability of 2.3 pm and a limit of detection of 5 × 10−4 RIU. The proposed sensors, taking advantage of confocal microscopy for excitation and detection, offer a robust, reliable, and contactless alternative for environmental water analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics)
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16 pages, 1090 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of an E-Nose Based on Metal Oxide Semiconductor Sensors for Coffee Quality Assessment
by Yhan S. Mutz, Samara Mafra Maroum, Leticia L. G. Tessaro, Natália de Oliveira Souza, Mikaela Martins de Bem, Loyane Silvestre Alves, Luisa Pereira Figueiredo, Denes K. A. do Rosario, Patricia C. Bernardes and Cleiton Antônio Nunes
Chemosensors 2025, 13(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13010023 - 18 Jan 2025
Viewed by 954
Abstract
Coffee quality, which ultimately is reflected in the beverage aroma, relies on several aspects requiring multiple approaches to check it, which can be expensive and/or time-consuming. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and calibrate an electronic nose (e-nose) coupled with chemometrics to approach [...] Read more.
Coffee quality, which ultimately is reflected in the beverage aroma, relies on several aspects requiring multiple approaches to check it, which can be expensive and/or time-consuming. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and calibrate an electronic nose (e-nose) coupled with chemometrics to approach coffee-related quality tasks. Twelve different metal oxide sensors were employed in the e-nose construction. The tasks were (i) the separation of Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora species, (ii) the distinction between roasting profiles (light, medium, and dark), and (iii) the separation of expired and non-expired coffees. Exploratory analysis with principal component analysis (PCA) pointed to a fair grouping of the tested samples according to their specification, indicating the potential of the volatiles in grouping the samples. Moreover, a supervised classification employing soft independent modeling of class analogies (SIMCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) led to great results with accuracy above 90% for every task. The performance of each model varies with the specific task, except for the LS-SVM models, which presented a perfect classification for all tasks. Therefore, combining the e-nose with distinct classification models could be used for multiple-purpose classification tasks for producers as a low-cost, rapid, and effective alternative for quality assurance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics)
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Review

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20 pages, 3507 KiB  
Review
Biosensors for Micro- and Nanoplastics Detection: A Review
by Maria Daoutakou and Spyridon Kintzios
Chemosensors 2025, 13(4), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13040143 - 14 Apr 2025
Viewed by 383
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs), which are widespread in many habitats as the byproducts of various industrial processes, pose considerable environmental and health hazards. However, current, conventional methods for detecting and characterizing them are considerably lacking in throughput, sensitivity, reliability, and field deployability. [...] Read more.
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs), which are widespread in many habitats as the byproducts of various industrial processes, pose considerable environmental and health hazards. However, current, conventional methods for detecting and characterizing them are considerably lacking in throughput, sensitivity, reliability, and field deployability. In the current report, we review the state of the art in biosensor-based MP/NP detection, in particular, describing advances in optical and electrochemical approaches, along with the development of novel biorecognition elements and the application of bioinformatics tools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics)
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61 pages, 8313 KiB  
Review
Promising Solutions to Address the Non-Specific Adsorption in Biosensors Based on Coupled Electrochemical-Surface Plasmon Resonance Detection
by Alina Vasilescu, Szilveszter Gáspár, Mihaela Gheorghiu, Cristina Polonschii, Roberta Maria Banciu, Sorin David, Eugen Gheorghiu and Jean-Louis Marty
Chemosensors 2025, 13(3), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors13030092 - 5 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1026
Abstract
Nonspecific adsorption (NSA) impacts the performance of biosensors in complex samples. Coupled electrochemical–surface plasmon resonance biosensors (EC-SPR) offer interesting opportunities to evaluate NSA. This review details the main solutions to minimize fouling in electrochemical (EC), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and EC-SPR biosensors. The [...] Read more.
Nonspecific adsorption (NSA) impacts the performance of biosensors in complex samples. Coupled electrochemical–surface plasmon resonance biosensors (EC-SPR) offer interesting opportunities to evaluate NSA. This review details the main solutions to minimize fouling in electrochemical (EC), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and EC-SPR biosensors. The discussion was centered on blood, serum and milk as examples of complex matrices. Emphasis was placed on antifouling coatings, NSA evaluation protocols and universal functionalization strategies to obtain antifouling biosensors. In the last 5 years, various antifouling coatings were developed for EC biosensors, including new peptides, cross-linked protein films and hybrid materials. Due to the comparatively much more scarce literature, for SPR and EC-SPR biosensors the discussion was extended to the early 2010s. The analysis revealed a wide range of antifouling materials with tunable conductivity, thickness and functional groups that can be tested in the future with EC-SPR. The high-throughput screening of new materials, molecular simulations and machine learning-assisted evaluations will even further widen the range of antifouling materials available for biosensors. The minimization of NSA’s impact on the analytical signal is moreover facilitated by unique sensing mechanisms associated with the bioreceptor or the particularities of the detection method. It is hoped that this review will encourage research in the field of EC-SPR biosensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Food Testing, Environmental Analysis, and Medical Diagnostics)
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