Integrated Biomarker Separation and Detection with Carbon Nanotubes: Advances and Prospects

Biomarkers are critical indicators of physiological and pathological conditions. The rapid separation and detection of biomarkers from complex biosamples are essential for guiding disease diagnosis and enabling precision treatments. However, detecting low concentrations of biomarkers amidst impurities remains a significant challenge. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as excellent biomarker separators and versatile sensors for point-of-care rapid testing (POCT). This review highlights the potential of CNTs to integrate separation and detection into a unified platform. This integration can eliminate the need for lengthy pre-processing, enable direct separation of complex biological samples, and facilitate rapid, high-precision detection within 30 minutes. We provide a comprehensive discussion of the functional versatility of CNTs in various separation techniques and their superiority in detection applications. Additionally, we examine the role of microfluidics in assisting CNT-based systems to streamline the separation and detection processes, as well as the use of AI to enhance data analysis, facilitate automated high-throughput screening, and improve the controlled synthesis of CNTs. Looking ahead, we believe CNT-based portable diagnostic devices hold promise for offering efficient, scalable, and clinically applicable solutions, and advancing POCT and precision medicine.