Multi-analyte sensing strategies towards wearable and intelligent devices

Continuous efforts to produce functional nanomaterials and flexible/stretchable devices have promoted cumbersome, laboratorial, detection processes toward wearable and portable intelligent sensing approaches. Responding to the challenges of the multiple analytes, mixtures, and complex components of practical samples, sensing array and multivariate analysis techniques have a significant advantage in terms of superior analytical capabilities, i.e., they are convenient, rapid, sensitive and have high-throughput for multi-analyte identification in food safety, clinical diagnoses, and environmental monitoring. Besides traditional molecular design and recognition mechanisms, materials with micro/nano structures also contribute to strong signals, sensitive responses, and novel properties. In this review, through a new perspective of signal amplification for responsive discrimination, we summarize progress in developing sensing arrays based on diverse micro/nanomaterials and their integrated devices for multi-analyte discrimination. An overview of strategies for constructing sensing arrays through various micro or nano building blocks, including 0D nanoparticle assembly and modification, 1D nanowires and fibers, 2D graphene and textiles, is schematized. Then, portable and wearable devices integrating colorimetric sensors or flexible electrochemical electrodes with the newest microelectronic units and circuit boards are presented. Meanwhile, the latest artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are introduced for massive data analysis in complex biological and environmental systems. With future developments in facile and accurate discrimination for multi-analyte research, extended applications will gear up in various fields.