Visual pH Sensors: From a Chemical Perspective to New Bioengineered Materials

Area of Science:

• Chemical Sensing
• Biochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Precise pH monitoring is essential for human activities and cellular functions.
• Colorimetric and fluorescence sensors offer visible, real-time, and in-situ pH detection.
• Optical visual sensors are increasingly vital in biological, environmental, and medical fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of trending visual pH sensors.
• To cover sensors developed in the past five years.
• To benefit researchers and beginners in pH sensing development.

Main Methods:

• Review of trending colorimetric, fluorescent, and dual-mode visual pH sensors.
• Inclusion of molecular synthetic organic sensors, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), engineered sensing nanomaterials, and bioengineered sensors.
• Analysis of chemical entities, structures, and signaling mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Overview of diverse visual pH sensor types.
• Discussion of advancements in sensor design and application.
• Identification of key trends in the last five years.

Conclusions:

• Visual pH sensors are versatile tools for various applications.
• Recent advancements offer new possibilities for in-situ and real-time pH monitoring.
• This review serves as a guide for future pH sensing development and in vivo applications.