Applications of Nanomaterials in Biosensing: Current Trends and Future Prospects

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to innovations in nanotechnology and spectroscopy, the development of biosensor technology has seen considerable advances. In recent decades, the scientific community’s focus on biomolecule imaging and detection has significantly increased; as a result, novel techniques that improve sensitivity and spatial resolution have been developed, enabling biomolecules to be more accurately characterized at the nanoscale. A range of nanomaterial based-analytical techniques are currently used, each presenting unique benefits and challenges. However, achieving nondestructive, label-free nanoscale biomolecular imaging or detection under ambient conditions and in real time remains a major challenge. Nanomaterials have attracted considerable interest in the field of biosensing due to their distinctive properties, including their high surface area, increased reactivity, and adjustable physical and chemical characteristics. These properties are particularly effective for enhancing the sensitivity, selectivity, and overall performance of biosensors. Additionally, optical nanomaterials are becoming more widely used in biosensors because of their distinctive capacity to interact with light in sensitive ways, facilitating the accurate detection of biomolecules even at low concentrations. Their high sensitivity, real-time detection, label-free sensing, and capacity to multiplex numerous biomarkers at once are particularly relevant in this field. These nanomaterials can improve biosensor performance by taking advantage of characteristics such as light scattering, fluorescence, and surface plasmon resonance. Their distinct optical characteristics make them appropriate for use in environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and other domains requiring accurate and effective biomolecule detection. Label-free spectroscopy techniques that utilize optical nanomaterials, such as optical spectroscopy, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy, are highly valued when noninvasiveness is essential, particularly when studying delicate systems in their natural state. These spectroscopic methods are popular due to their ability to detect biomolecules without the need for labels or modifications.

The current Topic invites papers related to the use of nanomaterials in various spectroscopy-based detection applications. Particular fields of interest for this Topic include the following:

• Nanomaterials, including quantum dots, carbon, and metamaterials; 
• Plasmonic material characterization; 
• Optical spectroscopy characterization (UV, IR, Raman, fluorescence); 
• Biomolecule characterization; 
• Biosensors; 
• Plasmonic materials; 
• Raman and SERS spectroscopy; 
• Fluorescence spectroscopy.

Full research papers, brief communications, or reviews related to the keywords mentioned above are all acceptable forms of contribution.

Dr. Kundan Sivashanmugan
Dr. Xianming Kong
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Applied Nano applnano	-	4.6	2020	14.8 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
Biosensors biosensors	5.6	9.8	2011	21.8 Days	CHF 2200	Submit
Materials materials	3.2	6.4	2008	15.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Nanomaterials nanomaterials	4.3	9.2	2010	15.4 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Chemosensors chemosensors	3.7	7.3	2013	20.5 Days	CHF 2000	Submit
Applied Biosciences applbiosci	-	2.9	2022	23.4 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
Laboratories laboratories	-	-	2024	15.0 days *	CHF 1000	Submit

* Median value for all MDPI journals in the first half of 2025.

Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.

MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:

1. Share your research immediately: disseminate your ideas prior to publication and establish priority for your work.
2. Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
3. Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
4. Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
5. Ensure broad indexing: Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results

Content type Publication Date

Result details

Normal Extended Compact

Journals

All Applied Nano Biosensors Materials Nanomaterials Chemosensors Applied Biosciences Laboratories

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

attachment

Supplementary material:
Supplementary File 1 (ZIP, 346 KiB)

12 pages, 3422 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Detection of Pyrene in Edible Oil via Plasmonic TLC-SERS Combined with Machine Learning Analysis

by Jiahui Tian, Xianhe Jiao, Jiaqi Guo, Qian Yu, Shuqin Zhang, Guizhou Gu, Kundan Sivashanmugan and Xianming Kong

Biosensors 2025, 15(8), 477; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15080477 - 23 Jul 2025

Viewed by 40

Abstract

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in edible oil has a serious effect on human health and may potentially induce cancer. This study combined thin-layer chromatography and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TLC-SERS) to rapidly and quantitatively detect PAHs in culinary oil. Machine learning [...] Read more.

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in edible oil has a serious effect on human health and may potentially induce cancer. This study combined thin-layer chromatography and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TLC-SERS) to rapidly and quantitatively detect PAHs in culinary oil. Machine learning using the principle component analysis-back propagation neural network (PCA-BP) was integrated with TLC-SERS for the detection of PAHs. Ag nanoparticles on diatomite (diatomite/Ag) TLC-SERS substrate were prepared via an in situ growth process and employed as a stationary phase in the TLC channel. The analyte sample was dropped onto the TLC channel for separation and detection. The diatomite/Ag TLC channel demonstrated excellent separation capability and superior SERS performance and successfully detected PAHs from edible oil at a sensitivity of 0.1 ppm. The PCA-BP quantitative analysis model demonstrated outstanding prediction performance. This work demonstrates that the combination of TLC-SERS technology with PCA-BP is an efficient and accurate method for quantitatively detecting PAHs in edible oil, which can effectively improve the quality of food. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Applications of Nanomaterials in Biosensing: Current Trends and Future Prospects)

►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 1303 KiB  

Open AccessReview

The Role of Nanomaterials in the Wearable Electrochemical Glucose Biosensors for Diabetes Management

by Tahereh Jamshidnejad-Tosaramandani, Soheila Kashanian, Kobra Omidfar and Helgi B. Schiöth

Biosensors 2025, 15(7), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15070451 - 14 Jul 2025

Viewed by 302

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus necessitates the development of advanced glucose-monitoring systems that are non-invasive, reliable, and capable of real-time analysis. Wearable electrochemical biosensors have emerged as promising tools for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), particularly through sweat-based platforms. This review highlights recent [...] Read more.

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus necessitates the development of advanced glucose-monitoring systems that are non-invasive, reliable, and capable of real-time analysis. Wearable electrochemical biosensors have emerged as promising tools for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), particularly through sweat-based platforms. This review highlights recent advancements in enzymatic and non-enzymatic wearable biosensors, with a specific focus on the pivotal role of nanomaterials in enhancing sensor performance. In enzymatic sensors, nanomaterials serve as high-surface-area supports for glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilization and facilitate direct electron transfer (DET), thereby improving sensitivity, selectivity, and miniaturization. Meanwhile, non-enzymatic sensors leverage metal and metal oxide nanostructures as catalytic sites to mimic enzymatic activity, offering improved stability and durability. Both categories benefit from the integration of carbon-based materials, metal nanoparticles, conductive polymers, and hybrid composites, enabling the development of flexible, skin-compatible biosensing systems with wireless communication capabilities. The review critically evaluates sensor performance parameters, including sensitivity, limit of detection, and linear range. Finally, current limitations and future perspectives are discussed. These include the development of multifunctional sensors, closed-loop therapeutic systems, and strategies for enhancing the stability and cost-efficiency of biosensors for broader clinical adoption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Applications of Nanomaterials in Biosensing: Current Trends and Future Prospects)

►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

attachment

Supplementary material:
Supplementary File 1 (ZIP, 967 KiB)

16 pages, 3297 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

On the Possibility of Fluorescent Capture Immunoassays on a Contact Lens

by Kundan Sivashanmugan, E. Albert Reece and Joseph R. Lakowicz

Biosensors 2025, 15(5), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15050326 - 20 May 2025

Viewed by 539

Abstract

Blood samples and testing are routine in healthcare. Presently, there is a growing interest in using tear samples in place of blood. Tear samples can be obtained non-invasively and collection does not require the skills of a trained phlebotomist. Red blood cells and [...] Read more.

Blood samples and testing are routine in healthcare. Presently, there is a growing interest in using tear samples in place of blood. Tear samples can be obtained non-invasively and collection does not require the skills of a trained phlebotomist. Red blood cells and other cells are not present in tears, which avoids centrifugation. Importantly, basal tear samples contain most of the biomarkers present in blood. The difficulty is the small volume of basal tears, which is about 7 μL in each eye. Any contact with the eye results in additional reflex tears with a different chemical composition. The small tear samples are collected with capillary tubes and then sent out for amplified assays, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results are not available for several days or a week and, therefore, are less useful in an ophthalmology office. We propose the use of a contact lens that contains bound antibodies for fluorescence immunoassays. The lenses could be removed from the patient for point-of-care measurements at the bedside. To prove that this concept is possible, we performed a three-layer protein capture assay that mimics an immunoassay. For convenience, we used lysozyme (Lys), which spontaneously coats silicon hydrogel (SiHG) contact lenses (CL). Anti-lysozyme IgG was the second layer captured, with anti-lysozyme considered to be the target biomarker. The third layer was rhodamine or Alexa Fluor-labeled Ab against the IgG Fc region, considered to be the detection antibody. The multiple protein layers were stable and did not wash off the SiHG lenses. These results strongly suggest the contact lens can be used for capture immunoassays for a wide variety of biomarkers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Applications of Nanomaterials in Biosensing: Current Trends and Future Prospects)

►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

 

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

Displaying articles 1-3